Chapter 269 - Because You Are Here
(1)
"Then, a toast to the couple's happiness."
"Cheers~"
Today was the wedding reception and banquet for the Nishimatsu couple.
The ceremony went smoothly, and now we were at the after-party venue.
Mika-san caught the bouquet.
The after-party wasn't just for Watanabe's group; friends of the Nishimatsu couple were also invited, and they were busy responding to everyone's greetings.
It reached the point where I couldn't tell if Toya-kun had come to celebrate the two of them or just to eat the feast.
Poka
"Airi, try this too. It's caviar. Here, say aah..."
Pakku
"It's delicious."
"Right?"
But that's not the point...
"Toya-kun, shouldn't we go say hello too?"
"We already did at the banquet, so it's fine."
"No! We're going!"
"If we all go, the two of them will get tired."
"Ugh..."
"If you go, you can eat as much as you want at the third party."
...As if that trick would work on him.
"Let's hurry, Airi. We're running out of time."
Ugh... I don't know whether to be happy or not.
"Congratulations, Nishimatsu-kun, Miyuki-senpai."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you, both of you."
"I was hoping we could be invited to your wedding too..."
"That's fine with us."
"I see. I thought I'd caused you trouble, so I figured I'd just send a congratulatory telegram."
"What are you saying? We're comrades in Unity now."
"It helps to hear you say that."
Huh? Something's strange about this conversation.
"So, when are you two planning to have your ceremony?"
"We haven't decided yet. Probably after we graduate from university."
Is Toya-kun talking so cheerfully because of the alcohol? Or because he can eat at the third party?
"Toya-kun, do you understand what you're saying?"
"Hm? It's about when we'll have our ceremony with Airi, right?"
That's true, but...
"Toya! So you've finally decided?"
Mika-san cut in.
"Decided what?"
No good. This guy hasn't noticed.
"So, you've decided to marry Airi, right!?"
"It's not like I 'decided' to; I've felt that way from the start."
"Airi-chan, when did he propose!?"
Emi asked.
"He hasn't yet..."
When I said that, the room fell silent.
"Huh!? Katagiri-kun, you intend to marry Airi, right!?"
"I do."
Toya-kun's mind seemed completely absorbed in eating.
But wait... maybe now's my chance.
"Toya-kun, will you marry me~?"
"Of course I will."
"So, when will you propose to me~?"
"Eh... ah..."
He noticed.
But Toya-kun's mood seemed to be elevated, probably because of the food.
"I'm planning to give you a ring on Christmas Eve two years from now."
Oh no, I'm about to cry.
He really does intend to.
"Hey, you idiot! You remember what you're saying now, right?"
"Of course I do. It's about when I'll propose to Airi."
"That's the same thing you're saying now, isn't it!?"
Kanna cut in. But Toya-kun really seemed to be in high spirits.
"You're right. Airi, I'll propose to you in two years, but will you accept the ring?"
That's unfair, Toya-kun. Making a reservation like that...
"Airi, this is your chance! Make it a done deal!"
Kanna's right.
"...Yes. I'll be waiting."
When I said that, everyone got excited.
"Then the third party will also be a celebration for Toya and Airi!"
"Airi, you did it! But you should push him a little more."
"Airi-chan, I'll record this, so make sure you listen to it."
Since Emi said that, I confirmed it once more.
"Toya-kun, you'll propose to me on Christmas Eve two years from now, right?"
"That's right♪"
"When will we register our marriage?"
"February 15th. Our anniversary, Airi."
"When will we have the ceremony?"
"When do you want to have it, Airi?"
"Anytime is fine♪"
"Then, once you say yes to my proposal, I'll arrange the venue right away."
"The venue is a seaside restaurant, right?"
"You've been saying that since middle school."
"Uh-huh♪"
He remembered.
I looked at Emi.
"I got it perfectly. I'll send it to you later."
After that, Toya-kun kept eating happily.
I'll have to use this trick on Toya-kun from now on.
After that, we went to the third party.
The Nishimatsu couple seemed tired and went home, but they made it a celebration for me and Toya-kun.
"Toya, if it's February 15th, any year is fine, right? Why not make it next year?"
Kanna said.
"Usually, you register the marriage after the proposal, right?"
"Then just propose now."
"I told you, I've decided on the day I'll propose."
"Didn't you hear what Airi said earlier?"
"Hear what?"
"Emi... that audio data from earlier."
Emi played it.
Toya-kun let out an "Ah!" and held his head in his hands.
Everyone was grinning.
"There's no escape now. Katagiri-kun?"
Toya-kun didn't respond to Emi's words.
He seemed to have finally understood what he had said.
Sensing something, Emi prepared the IC recorder again.
"Well, now that it's come to this, it doesn't matter when I say it... Airi, let's get married."
Bak!
"Katagiri-senpai, you're the worst! I can't believe you'd propose while drunk!"
Sakura-san, Toya-kun isn't drunk. I'm sure he's not drunk from alcohol. He's just excited by the all-you-can-eat.
"I don't mind. I'm happy with Toya-kun's proposal."
"Tosaka-senpai, he definitely won't remember this tomorrow!"
"Sakura-san, it's fine. I recorded it properly. I won't let him say he doesn't remember."
Emi said that... but still.
"...So, Toya-kun can do whatever he wants. If he says two years, I'll wait. I'll always be ready and waiting."
"Airi, you need momentum for this! If you wait two years, he might make another excuse!"
Mika-san said.
"But it seems like Toya-kun's feelings about wanting to get married are real."
"Of course they are. I can't imagine marrying anyone but Airi."
"Okay, then let's get married."
"Yeah, it's a promise."
Having said that, Toya-kun attacked the food again.
That night was a fun banquet with everyone drinking, singing, and making a huge racket.
The party continued until dawn.
(2)
"Toya-kun, it's already noon~ Lunch is ready~"
Ah, it's already that time.
When I got up, I went to the dining room.
Whoa, isn't that tonkotsu ramen!
I gratefully ate it.
"Thank you for the meal."
"Thank you for the humble meal."
Airi is in a good mood.
Did something good happen last night?
After lunch, I studied in my room.
Airi was humming while she studied.
Something must have happened after all.
"Hey? Airi?"
"Yeees?"
"Did something happen last night?"
"Huh?"
Airi's expression clouded over.
"You don't remember...?"
"Eh... ah... yeah..."
Did I mess up? Did I step on a landmine?
Just as I thought an uneasy atmosphere would flow...
"As I thought, it was the right decision to record it yesterday♪"
She didn't seem to be in that bad a mood. Did something that good really happen?
She took out her smartphone, operated it, and thrust it at me as if to say, "Can you not see this crest?!"
It seemed to be a recording from last night.
A conversation between me and Airi. But it wasn't ordinary.
Huh? Did I do it? No, I definitely screwed up.
Remember. I went to the second party yesterday, Airi said "if you say hello, you can eat all you want at the third party"... ah, I remember.
What should I do? If I try to pretend it never happened now, that would definitely be a bad end. What's said is said... I guess?
"Airi, want to go to a jewelry store now?"
"Huh?"
"To buy an engagement ring?"
Saying something like that is practically the same as proposing, isn't it?
"Huh? Really...?"
"Yeah."
"I want to say 'yay' but..."
Huh? Is she refusing? Did I mess up? We're even living together, and I still mess up?
"Hey~ Why do you think I recorded it?"
"To have proof, right?"
That's what I'm saying.
"That's true, but I wanted to keep it as a memory. I was happy. To know that Toya-kun really intends to."
"I've been telling you from before that I'd marry you when the time came... ah."
"Right? You didn't hear my answer, did you~?"
"Will you let me hear it now?"
"I said it in that recording earlier."
"You said you'd wait anytime, right?"
"Yeah."
Airi smiled brightly.
"So it's fine anytime, you know? If Toya-kun says two years, I'll wait two years. Actually, it's practically like we're already married."
When she puts it that way, she's right.
"But I had a feeling about the registration date, but I never thought you'd even decide the proposal date..."
"I thought a day that would be memorable would be good, and Christmas seemed close."
"I see~ So you've decided on the ceremony date too?"
"Yeah, if we can get a reservation..."
"When is it?"
"...October 5th."
"Huh?"
"I was thinking of Airi's birthday."
Airi hugged me.
"I'm so happy right now~♪"
"Does that mean you said yes?"
"...If a nagging wife is okay with you..."
"...Thank you."
"I should be the one saying that."
And so we spent a happy holiday afternoon.
(3)
"Home suspension... is it?"
"As a university, we cannot simply overlook and allow a professor who has registered a marriage with a minor to continue teaching."
"Please remain under home suspension until a final decision is made."
"...I understand."
What a belated reason.
It must be the pressure from God that Unity mentioned.
When I returned to the prep room, I told Umi, who was making a sculpture.
"Shuji-chan, are you going to get fired?"
"I don't know. There's a possibility."
"Is it because I invited you to Unity? Did I cause trouble for you, Shuji-chan?"
I grabbed Umi's face with both hands.
"Umi, if it weren't for Unity, you and I wouldn't have been together. Unity is a group with wonderful benefits."
"But..."
"Don't worry. I might not look it, but I have various job offers, like requests to come as a lecturer or to be an assistant. I can publish papers. I can at least support Umi."
"...Okay."
As Umi and I were packing our things, Manabe and Takemoto came.
"Professor! Is it true about the suspension!?"
"Ah... it seems the pressure was real."
"Professor! Don't do anything stupid like quitting!"
Manabe told me to look at his phone.
It was from Unity.
"It came from the educational side, huh? It's fine, we've traced the route. We'll apply pressure immediately. Don't worry."
It was a message from that girl, Emi.
"I heard this group is strong against this kind of pressure. Professor, don't give up!"
"...Thank you."
"Shuji-chan, are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine, Umi-chan."
"That's good, Shuji-chan!"
"Yeah."
I said that and patted Umi's head.
"...Actually, it seems they came for me too."
"Manabe too?"
"According to Satomi, all my public works contracts were cancelled. And besides that, they said, 'We can't entrust the firm to a manager who would seduce a minor.' I'm already an adult, though."
Manabe laughed.
"Did you tell Emi and the others about that?"
"I did. She said, 'That's nothing. Corruption in public works is the perfect bait. Leave it to me.'"
"I see..."
"Maybe this 'God' guy has started to run wild?"
"This might be the perfect chance to catch the fox's tail."
"I think so."
Takemoto looked like he wanted to say something.
"Professor. We received slander at first too. I'm sure Umi-chan will get some too. You're the only one who can protect her. Do your best."
"Yeah, I know."
Umi grabbed my leg and wouldn't let go.
What's wrong?
"Shuji-chan is too big for me to hug..."
I see.
I picked Umi up.
"How's this?"
"Shuji-chan, you're treating me like a child."
Umi was pouting.
I see. So that's why she's been in a bad mood lately.
Umi is growing up too.
No wonder I'm getting older.
Getting older makes you timid.
You get left behind by the young people charging forward.
So, what should I do?
I'll follow slowly, and if they fall, I'll help them up.
That's the role of an adult.
I'll watch over them until the day I get tired and can't move anymore.
That's when my role ends.
Will that day come for Umi too?
"Shuji-chan, I'm ready."
"Yeah, shall we go?"
I left the room.
I might be able to come back.
That might be true.
But I had no intention of returning.
I decided to focus all my energy on creating an environment where Umi's talent as a painter could flourish.
Of course, while earning money through lectures and such.
If necessary, it might not be bad to work somewhere.
But I'll stay by Umi's side as much as possible.
That's what I was thinking.
(4)
It was late that day.
I was hurrying home, but I felt something strange about the car behind me.
It wasn't keeping a distance, nor was it tailgating, but it was following me at a constant distance.
Maybe it was my imagination.
I thought so at first.
But when I put on my turn signal, it put on its turn signal in the same direction at the last moment.
Coincidence?
Thinking that was dangerous given the current situation.
I called Makoto on my hands-free.
"Oh, what's up, Kanna?"
"...I'm being followed."
"As I thought, they came."
"Hey, what should I do?"
"Calm down. Just act according to the plan."
"Got it."
Calm down, me.
I glanced at the rearview mirror. A wagon was following the car that was tailing me.
I parked my car in the house's parking lot as previously arranged.
Then, two men carrying what looked like stun guns approached from the car that had been following me.
My legs were trembling.
Just as the two men were about to grab me, a group of three men subdued the two stalkers.
"What do you want!?"
The two men were wearing black hoodies.
The three men were all in suits. Their chest muscles were thick.
Not just their chests. They had physiques that looked like their whole bodies were wrapped in muscle.
Their hair was blonde.
The three men spoke.
"All of your actions are recorded on the drive recorder. If we submit the evidence, you'll be handed over to the police."
The two men remained silent.
"Who hired you?"
The three men asked. But they didn't answer.
"...You were hired by God. Am I wrong?"
The two men flinched.
"If you say nothing, we have no choice. We'll just hand you over to the police."
"Handing us over is useless. We'll be released immediately!"
The two men finally spoke.
"Whether it's useless or not will be clear once we hand you over."
"Please! Let us off. We'll be purged."
"What is this 'purge'?"
"You know about the three Bones, right?"
"You mean you'll be subjected to vigilante justice?"
"That's right."
"The one who ordered you was a man named God, correct?"
"Yeah, that's right."
The two men's lips loosened.
"What was the reason for targeting this woman?"
The suited man's question was calm.
"Because she was the easiest target. That's what we were told."
"Who else are you targeting?"
"...Watanabe Mika and Kiritani Airi. And Kimoto Kana."
"The reason is because they're easy targets, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
The suited man's questions were over. Then he gave an order.
"You two, get in our car. Hand over your car keys."
"What are you going to do with us?"
"We'll take you to a safe place. God won't find out either."
The man in the black hoodie handed over the keys.
Then he got into the men's car.
"Kanna!"
Makoto came.
"Makoto!"
I was clinging to Makoto.
"Are you okay?"
Makoto's voice was gentle.
"Yeah, I'm fine. More importantly..."
"It's okay. It went according to Toya's plan."
"I see. That's good."
The suited man came over.
"We'll be taking these men now. Please refrain from unnecessary outings."
"Understood."
When Makoto answered, the five of them left.
"Come on, let's go home?"
Makoto said.
We went home.
Makoto reported to the Unity group.
"It went as Toya planned. They targeted Kanna."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, the guards helped me."
"Good. Did they say anything?"
I typed a message.
"Airi, Kana, and Mika are also being targeted! Be careful!"
But why Kana? That was strange.
"She goes shopping and blends into crowds often. That's probably why she was targeted. She's easy to target."
I thought she'd be fine since she's a housewife and doesn't go out much, but Toya said otherwise.
"They probably think any woman will do. Be careful."
"It doesn't seem that way."
Airi said.
"My husband still hasn't come home. He's not answering my calls either."
"Did he have his phone? Ask him!"
When Makoto said that, I tried asking?
"He should have it. What should I do? If something happened to Eita..."
When I told Makoto, he immediately started tracking.
"Huh? He's in the city?"
Makoto said something surprising.
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's in a building with bars. Emi-san, can you get any info?"
"He's apparently just drinking at a cabaret club with friends."
That idiot...
"Tell them to bring him home immediately. There's a possibility of a honey trap."
"Got it. I'll have them drag him home if they have to."
When Toya gave the order, Emi replied.
"Ah, and while you're at it, can you take a photo of the woman he's with at the cabaret club?"
"Huh? Sure, but what for?"
When I sent the message as Makoto told me, Emi asked.
"It might be a clue to catch their tails."
"...Got it. I'll check the store's name too."
"Is everyone else home?"
"Yeah, Mika's home too."
Watanabe said that.
For now, it was a relief.
And Makoto said the evidence gathering was going smoothly.
"God is finished."
Makoto said.
With this, the Egoist matter would be settled.
Because we had taken down the head.
But Toya said.
"Don't let your guard down yet. We can't forget about the existence of the Warlock."
"If we take down God, Egoist is over, right?"
"That's not necessarily true."
I couldn't help but be bothered by what Toya said.
(5)
"Eita, wanna go for a drink today?"
"Ah, impossible. My wife is noisy."
I refused immediately.
"Don't be so stiff. You need a break sometimes, right? This guy said he'd treat us."
The person was a blonde man I'd never seen before.
He looked like a flashy pretty boy.
"You're Kiritani Eita-kun? How about it sometime?"
"Who are you?"
"Eto Izumu. I know a good place. How about it?"
"What kind of place?"
"It's got lots of cute girls."
Absolutely impossible. Airi would get mad.
"Can't, sorry."
"Well, let's at least grab a bite and talk."
The man persistently invited me.
"A meal is fine..."
That was the beginning of the mistake.
Delicious food and alcohol.
Feeling completely good, I gave in to the invitation: "So? Want to hang out after this? You can't go home until morning anyway, right?"
The place looked expensive.
The customers drinking there looked like they had money to match.
I was in a good mood.
My mouth became loose.
I even revealed that I was a member of the famous Unity.
"No way. That's so cool!"
All the women's attention was on me.
They asked me all sorts of things.
About my comrades, my wife, my school life.
I answered every single question.
Then a man in a suit came.
"You're Kiritani Eita-kun, right? Your wife is worried. Let's go home."
"Who are you?"
"Would you understand if I said I'm the young lady's guard?"
My intoxication vanished instantly.
Airi found out.
This is no time for this!
"I-I'm going home first."
"Wait, Eita. It won't be lively without you."
My circle friend, who seemed strangely flustered, tried to stop me.
But if there's one thing in this world I'm afraid of, it's Airi.
"S-sorry. My wife is waiting."
The flashy man still tried to stop me.
"You shouldn't force him too much. It's Eto-san for now, right?"
What does "for now" mean? Could it be an alias?
"Don't underestimate our information network. We can tell it's an alias immediately. You're from Egoist, right?"
A chill ran down my spine.
Was I set up?
"Th-then, I'm going home!"
I said that and left the place.
The men drove my car for me. There were two of them.
I listened to the explanation in the car.
I was stunned.
I heard that the place itself was connected to God of Egoist.
When I got home, I was scolded as expected.
"You idiot! Do you have any idea how worried I was!"
Airi was crying.
"I'm sorry, I refused at first, but..."
"You were told not to act rashly! And you didn't answer my calls! I thought you'd been kidnapped!"
"I'm sorry."
I could only apologize profusely.
"Are you thinking I'm scary? Do I have that little trust? I was so anxious, you know."
Airi revealed her true feelings.
"What if something had happened to me while you were drinking...! Didn't you think of that!?"
"...I'm really sorry!"
I bowed my head and apologized earnestly.
"Eita is probably the most likely target among the men. Be careful."
"I got it."
"But, Katagiri-kun and Tada-kun said, 'Thanks to you, we caught a lead'... So I'll forgive you for this once. There won't be a next time."
"I know."
"...Are those cabaret club girls really that good? Better than me? Am I scary? This is your second time, you know."
"That's not true. Airi is the best! This time, I just ate and drank, and let my guard down for a moment..."
"Next time, if something urgent comes up, contact me. And reply to my messages immediately!"
"Got it."
Airi hugged me.
"As punishment, be gentle with me tonight at least..."
"Okay."
I hurt Airi over and over again.
Still, Airi doesn't stop believing in me.
I'll also look for a path to walk together without stopping Airi.
Because there is a feeling that will never be tarnished.
I'll try not to stop Airi.
Airi is alive.
Even if we're apart, even if I can't see tomorrow, love won't stop.
Even if the rain continues to fall, even if the darkness is deep, morning will come.
(6)
"Good work today too~"
I clinked cans of drinks with Airi.
"Kanna was just as Toya-kun predicted, but I never thought they'd target Kiritani-kun. That was unexpected for you too, right, Toya-kun?"
"Well, yeah."
Well, I thought if they were going to target a man, it would be Kiritani-kun or Sakai-kun.
"What are you going to do after this?"
Airi asked.
"Thanks to Kiritani-kun, we've identified God's affiliated companies. I think it's a big step forward."
"Is that what they call 'catching the fox's tail'?"
"Yeah, something like that."
He conveniently helped increase our hand.
Plus, there's the matter with Satomi-san and Professor Tange.
He exposed a beautiful web of collusion.
Emi-san is already on top of that line.
Apparently, Shimizu-san is already applying pressure too.
But it's not all good news.
I don't know how much Kiritani-kun talked, but he leaked our information.
A university student playing around at a cabaret club might also be a problem.
There's no doubt he gave the enemy cards.
How should I counter that...?
"Hey~, you're zoning out again~"
"Ah, sorry."
Airi linked her arm with mine.
"Toya-kun is reliable, isn't he? Even with such a cute wife by his side, he gets lost in his own world."
"Is it normal to call yourself cute?"
"Oh? Are you saying you don't think your wife is cute?"
"Of course not."
"See?♪"
It's important to keep Airi happy.
It's also dangerous to leave Airi alone.
I hear they've assigned guards.
I've noticed suspicious glances too, but it seems certain we're being targeted.
I want to protect her myself, without relying on guards.
I've put Airi in danger many times.
"It's nice that you protect me, but I don't want you to get hurt, Toya-kun."
"Yeah, I know."
"Toya-kun has a dream, so you can't get hurt over something like this!"
"Okay, thank you."
"A dream, huh. I hope it comes true."
"I'll make it come true."
"Make my dream come true too, okay?"
"Huh?"
"To become Toya-kun's bride~"
Ah, right.
"That's practically half-fulfilled already, isn't it?"
"You don't get it, Toya-kun. I want to walk down the aisle with my husband."
"...I understand."
"Well then, let's get to bed soon. We have class again tomorrow."
"Yeah."
I got into bed with Airi.
"Hey, Toya-kun?"
"What is it?"
"Toya-kun really doesn't fool around with women, does he?"
"I don't need to, right?"
Because I have Airi.
"Ah, so you think I'm just a casual fling!?"
"Of course not."
I knew she'd say that.
"If you need to... unwind... do it with me, okay?"
"I already do."
"Really?"
I hugged Airi.
"See?"
"Yeah."
Airi said that and fell asleep.
Her sleeping face was very peaceful.
Airi, whose smile never fades.
Sometimes I make it cloud over.
She's always thinking of me.
My own power is very weak.
But still, I want to be strong enough to protect the smile I see in Airi's eyes.
I was thinking about such things.