My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 601

Therefore, even after returning home, I couldn't calm down. Because today I'm probably going to be completely manipulated by their unpredictable moods again.

Looking out the back window, cherry blossoms, bathed in moonlight, drifted down amidst the passing scenery.

As the red light turned on, the driver slowly stopped the car. Illuminated by the streetlights, the tender leaves at the tips of the cherry blossom branches peeked out slightly.

April is almost halfway over. I've been working at the firm and office the whole time, so I haven't noticed how much time has passed.

The busy period of the new year has come to an end, and I feel a bit more relaxed. Before, I was constantly shuttling between home, the office, the firm, and business trips, but now I can finally take a breather.

I glanced absently out the window as the car quietly drove forward again; the light had probably turned green. The gentle acceleration and smooth braking reflected the skill of a professional. Although I often drove people when I was younger, I was no match for an expert who made a living that way. When I started working with my father-in-law, I couldn't get used to being driven by others, but now it doesn't seem strange at all.

When the car pulled up in front of my house, the driver got out and went around to the back seat to open the door for me; it was something I was already used to.

Thank you. You've worked hard. Good night. See you tomorrow.

I didn't even know what I had just said. I said goodbye and got off the car without even realizing it.

The driver silently bowed and watched me leave. I thanked him with my eyes instead of a nod, and then went through the door of my house.

Habits are a terrible thing.

The presence of the driver, the unusually spacious mansion, the work as a county councilor and in the company, and the new surname initially puzzled me greatly.

Ultimately, it's because this kind of life was never meant for me. I had no intention of going into politics or running a company; it just so happens that my wife's family is such a prominent family.

Although there are more female politicians now, back then, the vast majority of politicians were men, and my wife's family hoped that I would marry into their family and inherit their business.

My family isn't a prominent one that needs someone to inherit the family business. The other party said this was a condition for marriage, and I agreed without hesitation. That's all.

It was certainly troublesome to change driver's licenses, bank accounts, and other documents, but in reality, those were the only things that needed to be dealt with. So, without realizing it, I became a member of the Yukinoshita family.

She adopted a new surname, inherited her father-in-law's position and territory, and had two daughters.

While engrossed in my work, I also got used to the titles of councilor and president, and now I realize that this is my daily life.

However, I still can't get used to being a husband and father.

I should have over twenty years of experience since I got married, but I still lack confidence in saying that I've done everything I was supposed to do. Not to mention my two daughters are going through puberty.

Harano and Yukino.

His two daughters resemble his wife greatly, growing up to be both beautiful and intelligent. Because of this, their father sometimes worries. Will their beauty and talent attract jealousy? Will the Yukinoshita family become a heavy burden? Will strange insects gravitate towards them because they are so adorable…?

The seeds of worry are like countless grains of sand on a beach, but I dare not say anything to them. If I am looked at with impatience, I will be sad. Therefore, I still cannot have a deep conversation with my two daughters.

Although my father wasn't very reliable, my mother showered them with love, both strict and gentle. And her strict approach was primarily directed at me, not her daughters. As for how strict she was, it was about the same as the current stock market. Was it too strict? (Note 26)

From the moment I inherited the Yukinoshita family business, my wife became much more critical of my work than my father-in-law, who had long since decided to retire and enjoy his retirement. Thanks to her, I became capable of handling things independently, at the cost of being afraid to go home back then. No, I'm still a little afraid now.

I was more on edge before stepping into my home than I am at work, and I opened the door.

Behind the door, my wife was already standing on the steps of the entryway, waiting for me.

"You're back."

My wife, dressed in a kimono with her hair neatly tied up, bowed slowly with a serene smile. That gentle smile was exactly the same as when I first met her—no, even more beautiful than then.

"Yeah, I'm back."

She reached out to help me with my coat and briefcase, and although I thanked her, I gently shook my head in refusal. I come from an extremely ordinary middle-class family, and I'm powerless against such gestures of special welcome and Yamato Nadeshiko-like behavior. More than twenty years later, it's still the same.

However, my wife did not lower her hand that was reaching out to me; she smiled silently.

I gave in to her unwavering determination to "stay in this position until you hand over your things," and only after handing her the briefcase in my arms did she finally relent.

I don't actually dislike carrying her briefcase; her thoughtfulness always makes me happy. But it's a habit I developed during our honeymoon period, and I can't help it. Although my briefcase doesn't hold much now, and I often leave the house empty-handed, in my younger days, it was heavy with expectations, responsibilities, and drive. As time went by, I started entrusting her with various things, but because I felt I couldn't let her carry any more burdens, I still carry my own briefcase to this day.

Well, to put it simply, my wife, who wanted to help me carry things, and I, who wanted to carry things myself, were both equally stubborn.

As I watched my wife walk quietly down the long corridor extending from the entrance hall, a faint, wry smile unconsciously crept onto my face. Just then, she turned and glanced back at me.

"Yin-no is back today too."

"Is that so? That's really strange."

My second daughter, who had been living alone until recently, came back, and then it was my eldest daughter's turn to move out. Because of work, I'm often away from home, so the last time the whole family gathered together was during the New Year. The long-awaited family reunion made me quicken my pace, while my wife's steps, in contrast, became somewhat heavy.

"You can't say that, the child comes back often."

His wife pressed her slender fingers to her temples, as if she had a headache, and sighed, a sigh that was hard to tell whether it was helplessness or exhaustion.

"I wonder if she has any plans to move out..."

"...That's quite unusual."

Upon hearing this, my wife tilted her head in confusion. This childlike gesture and expression has remained unchanged since I first met her.

His wife had high expectations of Yang Nai, and therefore often treated her strictly. Although Yang Nai showed signs of impatience, she accepted it willingly, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility as the eldest daughter.

However, judging from his wife's tone, their relationship seemed to have changed somewhat.

Previously, my wife would most likely have objected to Haruno moving out. She only agreed now because Haruno lives in our apartment by herself. But what she just said can be interpreted as her allowing Haruno to move out in the future. My wife's attitude is indeed very rare.

It seems something happened between her and Yang Nai without my knowledge... I thought to myself as I loosened my tie and passed by the living room.

Before entering the dormitory, I peeked into the living room. Yukino and Haruno weren't talking; they were just sitting on the sofa, killing time.

Haruno watched TV, a whiskey glass in one hand, giggling happily. Yukino, on the other hand, sat casually, reading a paperback book with a teacup in hand. Occasionally, however, she would pick up her phone as if struck by a thought, a gentle smile appearing on her face, and excitedly begin typing.

That's quite strange. I thought Yukino would only make that kind of expression when watching "Mitsuaki Iwago's Cat Walk Around the World." Did she see a cat video on social media? No, if that's the case, that slightly shy leg-waving and face-burying-in-pillow behavior is too unnatural. Besides, it's already strange enough that Yukino keeps her phone next to her at home. In addition, the fact that Haruno didn't tease her about her strange behavior, but instead ignored it with such a normal attitude, is equally extremely unnatural.

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became. I climbed step by step to the second floor of my dormitory, and my imagination gradually took shape in the process.

Upon arriving at my dorm, the answer unexpectedly came to mind.

"No way—" I was about to speak when my wife, who was helping me hang my coat in the closet, spoke first:

"By the way, it seems like those two have something to say to you..."

I instantly had a bad feeling.

Given Yukino's actions just now, and the fact that she specifically told me about it, the content was naturally limited.

"...I'll go right away after I change my clothes."

I desperately tried to control my trembling voice and feign composure. But my wife seemed to see through my clumsy, self-serving act and chuckled.

"Okay, then I'll go make some tea first."

I watched as my wife walked out of the bedroom first and slowly began to change her clothes.

The suit, which I should have been used to wearing, suddenly felt unusually heavy.

I slowly spent a lot of time changing into my loungewear, as if I were checking the stairs floor by floor, and slowly went downstairs.

It takes so much time to develop the necessary awareness.

After all, I've never talked to my daughter about dating. Those two girls are beautiful and have lovely personalities, so they must attract a lot of attention from the opposite sex. However, they are clever enough to know their good looks and skillfully handle their suitors.

More importantly, they have Hayato from the Hayama family, their childhood friend. Hayato has been popular with people of all ages since he was little, and the adults around him speak highly of him. Anyone who has seen him in person would think that most boys wouldn't even notice him. I even feel a little sorry for the men who are compared to him.

No, wait a minute? It's also possible that they want to tell me about Hayato.

Our family has been close to Mr. Hayama's family for generations, and my wife and I have a very good impression of Hayato. If our daughter were to date anyone, he would be the best choice. As a father, my feelings are complicated, but if, by any chance, he were to be with my daughter, I probably wouldn't be entirely opposed to it. Hmm.

To put it simply, I don't really want to hear about that kind of thing. However, since my daughter said she had something to tell me, I felt bad refusing. It's precisely because I know I'm not a good enough father that I want to try my best to fulfill my daughter's request.

My mood sank lower and lower, and my footsteps became lighter and lighter. I didn't even make a sound when I turned the doorknob in the living room.

I opened the living room door with a melancholy heart, and the aroma of black tea wafted out. Although it was a bit late for evening tea, my wife and two daughters were still enjoying their tea together.

"They've all eaten with us, so it's Dad's turn next, right?"

"Absolutely not... or rather, he would never agree to it."

Haruno sank into the leather sofa, popped some tea and snacks into her mouth, and said something intriguing. Yukino, who seemed to be the person she was talking to, picked up her teacup with her fingertips, her brow furrowed as she drank her black tea.

"That's how it always starts. Your father was the same; he was very reluctant at first. But, you have to know how to subtly entice him..."

Halfway through my sentence, my wife noticed me standing by the door like a ghost, so she swallowed the rest of her sentence and poured black tea into an empty teacup.

Haruno and Yukino also turned to look at me, probably because they noticed my wife's actions.

"Ah, you're back—"

"You're back..."

Haruno spoke lightly, while Yukino greeted me awkwardly. It had been a long time since the whole family had gathered together, and I subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

"...Yes, I'm back."

I picked up the black tea my wife had brewed for me and sat down on the sofa. The leather sofa, used for a long time, had become so soft and yielding that it would gently envelop me when I sat on it. Perhaps family members are like that too. Initially stiff and tense, they eventually blend in perfectly after a long period of careful maintenance. Hehe, luckily I polish it until it shines every night…

I was secretly pleased. I swallowed the tea while enjoying my snacks and continued our conversation.

"...Sigh, I understand he doesn't want to, but we can't drag this out for too long. Wouldn't it be faster to just create a fait accompli and force him to his death? Anyway, that child can't escape."

The sudden use of those words almost made me slip off the sofa. Heh, looks like I've been over-cleaning the sofa every night…heh, it's so slippery. Heh, thanks to it, words like "that child" and "fait accompli" also easily slipped out of my ears. Heh, luckily I polish it until it's sparkling clean every night…

I perked up and sat up straight. My wife, as if she had anticipated this moment, put her finger to her lips as if deep in thought.

"It also depends on the nature of the fait accompli. It would be better for you to understand him more thoroughly. We need to investigate in more detail and confirm that he has potential for future development before making any decisions..."

"Be careful, or someone else might snatch him away. Right?"

Haruno gave a teasing smile to the person next to her, while Yukino pouted and looked back at her unhappily. However, her wife's gaze was sharper than hers.

"...It's not impossible. Especially with those two children."

Ah—those two people—

I don't think so...

Yukino hurriedly tried to smooth things over. But Yukino herself seemed unsure of her own words, and she lowered her head in thought with a "hmm".

Seeing Yukino's expression, both Yukino and Haruno smiled, as if to say they had witnessed a heartwarming scene.

I smiled too, but inside I was anxious and uneasy. From the moment we started talking until now, I've sensed danger in every aspect of the conversation.

I sipped my black tea and, waiting for the moment the conversation to break, slowly opened my mouth.

"What are you talking about?"

"N-I don't know..."

Yukino turned her head away. Oh dear, it's been a long time since I've seen such a childlike reaction. My two daughters are both adorable, but they're especially adorable today. My wife? My wife is adorable all the time.

However, thanks to Yukino's adorable reaction, my ominous premonition almost turned into certainty.

Since things have come to this, I have no choice but to accept it.

"...Oh, right, Mom said you have something to say to me."

Maintaining my fatherly authority, I calmly inquired and quietly set down my teacup. A moment of silence fell over the living room.

...That's how it was supposed to be, but strangely enough, the teacup and saucer made a clicking sound next to my hand.

Ah, no... I don't want to hear it...

I dared not look directly at Yukino's face, my eyes fixed on the rippling black tea.

At that moment, someone cleared their throat gently.

I looked up, and it was Yang Nai who spoke.

"Regarding that matter... I'll be staying at home for a while."

She said it so casually, and I couldn't help but smile.

"What? Tired of living alone?"

"Oh, so it was Haruno who wanted to talk to me." "Oh, that's great, Daddy can rest assured." My tone was tinged with amusement, but Haruno seemed to be deep in thought as she murmured softly.

"No, I just have something I want to do."

I glanced at my wife, who gracefully poured me a fresh cup of black tea. Seeing that she had no objections, she probably knew Yang Nai was coming back to stay.

Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say. Rather, considering that Yang Nai used to routinely break curfews and stay out overnight without permission, she should be welcomed home. No, not just welcomed. She should be warmly welcomed to FamilyMart.

"I don't know what you want to do... do whatever you want."

"Yes, I will. I also want to prepare for studying abroad."

I almost spat out the black tea I was drinking. Or rather, I already did.

"Study abroad?!"

Black tea dripped from the corner of her mouth like vomited blood, dripping onto the low table. Yukino handed over a box of tissues, and Haruno quickly took two or three sheets and wiped the table clean. Then she crumpled the tissues into a ball, threw them into the trash can, and tilted her head towards me.