Chapter 1223 - 3/31
And so, a few days passed. After peaceful and gentle days continued—
"Happy Birthda-ay!"
"Happy birthday!!!"
Since being made to wait the other day... well, even without that, the celebration we had been preparing for since a while ago has arrived today. The time is evening, the place is Yotsuya Mansion.
It has come, 3/31.
"...Is that in sync? Or is it not? No, um, yes."
Today's protagonist is none other than.
"Thank you, very much... ehehe."
Having successfully reached her sixteenth birthday, it is our very own Sora-san, otherwise known as the young lady Sora Yotsuya.
—That being said, the scale of the party is extremely modest.
It is technically in the category of a mansion, but it is on the smaller side compared to, for example, the more serious Shijo Mansion. The venue is Yotsuya Mansion, a size that is not too overwhelming even for Sora and Itsuki-san who live there almost by themselves.
The participants are also just three people, the protagonist, the maid, and me. Even the dishes lined up on the table we gathered around for the happy birthday song are just various things the three of us prepared together in harmony.
Although the maid and I got enthusiastic and put up decorations here and there in the room... well, it was only to that extent. To repeat, it is a modest gathering in accordance with her own wishes.
Last year, which is to say her fifteenth birthday which she welcomed right after meeting me, seems to have been roughly like this as well. Of course, at that time her Father-sama apparently celebrated with her too, but...
"So... um? Is it, like, that? Should I read a congratulatory speech for now?"
"Oh, that sounds nice."
"It is not nice. It is fine, so—why is that prepared...?"
There are only three people here. Which means he is absent today... there is no way that is the case, it is simply that the turn of Tetsugo-shi, also known as the limit-breaking doting Papa-sama, has already ended.
While Itsuki-san and I began various preparations, the parent and child enjoyed a lunch date just the two of them. When sending her off with a full smile alongside the maid, Sora-san had a somewhat highly embarrassed, pouting face... but upon returning home, she was safely a smiling Angel.
It is wonderful that they seemed to have spent a harmonious time together—well,
putting aside Tetsugo-shi, the other smiling heavenly being, who has departed for busyness once again.
"Well then, shall we eat?"
""Let's eat!""
Indeed, the scale is modest.
However, with the members being who they are, I clasp my hands before the feast, whose quality for each and every dish transcends the category of home-cooked.
Setting aside myself, who is at most slightly average having been trained by part-time job manuals.
I already knew this fully by now, but because Sora-san and Itsuki-san are at their peak... without any flattery or joking, the top of the table is a high-class restaurant as far as the eye can see.
Since my weekend visits became a regular occurrence, I have luxuriously been allowed to eat their home cooking countless times, but—ah, well, my goodness.
"What is this. Eating out is already a single choice of 'here'. Yotsuya Mansion, or rather, Yotsuyatei."
"Haru, you made it together with us, didn't you...?"
"My, my... I wonder if your wallet will hold out?"
"Itsuki-san, what are you saying?"
I don't understand.
To be sure, the maid was also more enthusiastic than usual, or rather, she clearly stated a line like a strong character in a battle manga, 'I will get a little serious now,' and Sora-san, being Sora-san, said something good-natured, selfish, and super cute like, 'Because it is my birthday, please let me do as I like,' and naturally joined us, and like the maid, was increasingly enthusiastic than usual... but really, what is this. My presence has been completely erased.
My skills trained by part-time jobs are completely swallowed up by the skills of the two lined up.
Should I think, what is up with this master and servant, scary... or should I think, what is up with the maid who raised a mere sixteen-year-old to this point, scary... no, yeah.
Well, it is the latter. No doubt about it—
"Oh, this is..."
"...I am thinking about various things, but I am probably not thinking of anything rude, just barely."
"My, as expected. I still have not stepped into telepathy yet."
"......E-Even if you step into it so easily, how should I put it... though."
And so on, in that manner.
"So... um? Is it, like, that? Should I read a congratulatory speech for now?"
"N-No, that is why I said it is fine! Please put away the congratulatory speech paper (that kind of thing)...!"
"—Nozomi-kun, Nozomi-kun."
"Ah, yes, what is it?"
"Since it is a party, I have put some thought into it and prepared something like this."
"Eh, what is it, scary. What is that, what...? A box...?"
"As you can see, there are three disposable chopsticks inside."
"Hah. Somehow, Itsuki-san, disposable chopsticks look so out of place on you that it is funny."
"If the three of us pull them all at once saying 'Ei! ♡'"
"Hah. Why did you say that in a needlessly cute way, that is funny."
"The person who draws the winning one gets 'ah-nn' fed by the remaining two—"
"Shall we do it!!!"
"We are not doing that!?"
"Why not, it is fine, it is a party!!!!!"
"We are not doing it!! Haru, I know you will definitely regret it later!!!"
Again and again, modest... but for us, there could be nothing better.
The peaceful, quiet, and lively banquet continued on and on, extremely leisurely, to the point where it felt as if an end would never come—remaining fun from beginning to end.
We are already a family, aren't we.
And since this is a setup jab, it is short. Prepare yourself.