Chapter 16 (Part 2) – Pudding
While we were having that conversation, Aoi-san returned to the living room with a handsome man.
“Chi, you’re getting lovey-dovey with Miko again!”
“I love Miko-chan!”
“Back off!”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Kouji, Chiharu’s father. I apologize for any inconvenience my son may have caused.”
“A well-mannered person has arrived~!”
Huh? No, I think I’ve seen them somewhere before?
Where was it again?
“Oh! Are you sati-san?”
“!? … Do you know me?”
Sati, also known as “サチ” in katakana, is a legendary makeup artist and a celebrity in the advertising agency where I work!
It’s rumored that if you get makeup done by Sati-san, anything you wear – clothes, shoes, accessories – will sell like hotcakes.
“Um, can I shake your hand, please?”
“Mikoto! You don’t know about my brand, but you know about Kouji’s?”
“No one at my company is unaware of Sati-san! I’ve worked with Sati-san’s disciple, Chieko, but I’ve never received an offer from Sati-san yet!”
“… … You seem to be on good terms with Chieko.”
“Huh?”
As I looked bewildered, Chi-kun spoke up.
“It’s because my mom doesn’t like introducing someone she likes to my dad! She’s afraid that if she falls for my dad, she’ll have to start disliking them! So, if someone hasn’t worked with my dad, it means my mom likes them.”
I remained silent for a moment and then exclaimed,
“Chieko-san or Chi-chan’s mom! Or rather, Sati-san’s wife! … … Now that you mention it, Chi-chan’s hair texture might be similar to Chieko-san’s… I’ve had Chieko-san braid my hair before, and her hair is also fluffy.”
Everyone present fell silent.
What?
“Miko-chan touched Chie’s hair”
“Huh? What’s wrong? Everytime I meet Chieko-san, she always says, ‘Touch my hair~’ and hugs me.”
Everyone fell even quieter.
Wait, what’s the big deal?
Just then, the intercom rang again.
“It’s probably Chie.”
Aoi-san went to the front door to welcome Chieko-san.
When Aoi-san returned, I made eye contact with Chieko-san.
“Mi-chan~ Why are you here? Fate? It’s fate~ Give me a hug and stroke my hair~”
As always, Chieko-san hugged me tightly.
This person is truly adorable.
I couldn’t help but hug her back tightly and stroke her head.
“Chie! Don’t get all lovey-dovey with Miko, you jerk! You usually hate it when someone touches your head, but you’re letting Miko pet you!”
“I’m not being all lovey-dovey! And don’t come near Mi-chan, especially if you’re someone who’s into flirty affairs like Aoi-san!”
“Don’t put bad ideas into Miko’s head! What if she ends up disliking me!”
Chieko-san turned her back towards me as if shielding me from Aoi-san.
“Mi-chan is my girlfriend.”
“Huh? I’ll kill you.”
“I’m so done with this. Kouji, take me back quickly…”
Aoi-san’s gaze fell on Kouji-san, who was on her knees and looking down.
“Mom, Dad’s in despair. Don’t you think you should console him?”
“Protecting Mi-chan is more important.”
At Chieko-san’s words, Kouji-san slumped down.
A big man reduced to a tiny ball…
“Chieko-san, what Aoi-san is saying is true. We started dating.”
Chieko-san looked utterly hopeless.
“No, Mi-chan, I don’t want that! I’m sure there’s a better guy out there for you!”
“Yeah, that might be true, but I realized I liked Aoi-san. Even though I was the one who confessed first, I couldn’t just back down. Chieko-san, I was really happy that you were thinking about me! Thank you!”
Chieko-san’s eyes welled up slightly, and she nodded. Then, she turned to Aoi-san and said coldly,
“If you make Mi-chan cry, I’ll drown you in the bathtub.”
“That’s quietly terrifying in a real way!”
“Chieko-san, it’s okay! I think I’m more likely to make someone cry!”
“If it’s Aoi-san, feel free to cry as much as you want! I’ll allow it!”
“I really don’t want that! You two, seriously, go home!”
Aoi-san’s desperate plea was in vain, and the three of them didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.