Chapter 787 - A Family Announcement
And so, it was Friday.
Beset by one event after another, day and night, time flew by as usual. Thus arrived the eve of the great battle—
"Huh???"
"Eh???"
"The hell???"
"Mmm???"
"Well…"
The time was sunset, the place was the Eastern Round Table. Though the voices were rich with individual personality, the meaning they contained was one and the same: utter, blindsided shock.
These dumbfounded cries came from about half of the nine rankers of Istia, who had gathered minus one absentee (the silver one). The exceptions were Genkotsu, the [Twin Fists], who silently widened his eyes with a rare expression, and… the tiny one next to me.
The blue one, to be specific.
[Right Wing] Ri-na. Though she was on the receiving end of the news just like us, she alone wore a knowing expression, looking composed as if this wasn't surprising at all.
…And the ones who had just dropped this momentous bombshell that created the current situation were the remaining two.
"—Nyahaha, geez, getting such a classic reaction is making me blush!"
One was the red one, [Left Wing] Mi-na. Her high energy was normal, but she was grinning from ear to ear with a slightly different flavor of excitement than usual.
And then there was the one standing next to her.
"—…Well, it's not like it's a big deal. There's no need to be weird about it, and I have no intention of making you. It'd be helpful if you all just treated us the same as always."
And one Blonde Samurai, who declared such a preposterous thing with a cool, solemn expression.
No way.
There's absolutely no way.
—After having a super-massive bombshell like ‘Hey guys, we’re dating now’ dropped on us, who in their right mind could just brush it off so casually?
What's with that cool expression, you handsome bastard? Are you invincible on all fronts? Give me a break.
"…Uh… well, what can I say? So… eh? Irori, hey, are you serious?"
And so, Goldow, speaking up like the man in charge, voiced the consensus of the room. At the very least, it was certain I wasn't the only one flabbergasted.
And it was also certain that everyone's shared surprise was directed more towards one of them… namely, the one who was just asked the question.
The invincible samurai, who stood there looking as composed as ever, showing no signs of shame or anything of the sort.
"Sorry to surprise you, but it's true. It's not a joke, and we're not playing around."
And his response was immediate and without hesitation.
The way he nonchalantly pushed away Mi-na, who was trying to get close at every opportunity, was undeniably his usual self… which is precisely why we could tell he wasn't joking.
Apparently, it really was true.
""""""…""""""
Silence fell once more. The surprise and confusion had yet to subside, and our minds were slowly, slowly catching up to this reality that felt so unreal…
"…Um… Mi-na-chan?"
In place of our de-facto dad (Goldow), who had gone completely silent, the next to speak was Lady Hinayo. She too was blinking rapidly, showing great confusion, but—
"—Congratulations. …Is that the right thing to say?"
"—! …N-ehehe! Thank you so muuuuch!!!"
The moment she offered her blessings and a smile to the junior she was so close to, like a beloved little sister, Mi-na shot past Irori and leaped straight at her.
With that, the atmosphere of the room finally broke.
What his state of mind was, or if he was just so shocked he’d reached a state of blank nothingness, who could say? Setting aside Goldow, who had ceased to function… and one other. Gen-san, who had his eyes closed as usual but wore a clumsy smile that expressed his congratulations, we'll set him aside too.
Ui-san joined in with Hinayo, doubling the affection being lavished upon Mi-na, who was frolicking like a dog being petted. And as for Irori, who was watching them…
"Irori-senpai."
"What is it?"
"For real?"
"Don't make me say it over and over again, all of you."
"I think the reason it doesn't feel real is because you're not blushing at all, Irori-senpai."
"There's no need to blush."
"Seriously…? Man, what's with your mental fortitude?"
Tetra approached and started bantering with him.
It wasn't a particularly rare pairing. Junior number one just didn't interact with anyone unless necessary, but he was on relatively good terms with everyone.
"…"
The announcement, the notification, the sharing of information. It was so sudden and without warning that it was, of course, a huge surprise… but that was fine. I understood their spirit, their sincerity. I got it.
No, it wasn't sincerity so much as a sign of trust and affection. They didn't want to keep secrets from us, and they had no intention of doing so. I could understand the will behind their actions.
"…"
It was just that our hearts hadn't quite caught up yet. But something like this would have been a ‘sudden story’ no matter when it happened. The shock was a necessary part of the process.
To be honest, I'd had a faint inkling about the ‘arrow’ pointing from Mi-na, thanks to certain events during our previous trip.
So her side of things was fine from the start. As for Irori, whom I hadn't suspected in the slightest, I could just take my time to process it.
Apparently, due to Mi-na's idol work and other circumstances, it was more of a ‘in the future’ thing, and their relationship would be unique for a while, but…
Well, it's a happy occasion. No need to hold back on the congratulations.
"…"
So, yes. I was thinking of following Tetra over to Irori, but…
"—…Ri-na?"
"Mm."
I wonder what's up with this little one (the blue one). Ever since she answered the summons and showed up at the Round Table before the announcement, she hasn't left my side.
"What's wrong?"
I know something is up. The person closest to her has just had a major life event, so it’s only natural for her to be feeling something.
She's the only one here, aside from the couple themselves, with a knowing look. She seems calm and unsurprised, but that doesn't necessarily mean her heart feels the same.
"Mm…"
And right now, she's acting strangely.
…Given the situation, a certain ‘what if’ naturally comes to mind. But I'm at a loss as to whether I should actually voice that question.
Since they always gang up on me as a duo, I like to think I'm on pretty good terms with her, but…—whoa, what's with that hand?
Hey, that tickles. Stop poking my side.
"Ri—"
"I knew all along. And I thought they should just get together already. So it's not a big deal."
She whispered.
It's not that she's usually loud, but for Ri-na, who always speaks in a calm, steady tone no matter the time or place, this intentionally lowered volume was rare.
"I-I see."
Her words were clearly meant for me alone. Realizing this, I lowered my voice as well, observing my twin (not actually a twin) who had been left behind a step away from the boisterous group.
We're on decent terms, but I can't exactly boast that our bond is ‘deep.’ So, naturally, there's no way I can read what's behind her usual deadpan, composed expression.
"I'm not lonely or anything like that. Really."
"I see. If you say so, then I'll take your word for it."
So all I can do is listen to my little senior's words and nod. Whether she's being honest or just putting on a brave face, if she tells me to believe it, then I will.
That should be fine. So please, release my side already.
"—It’s just, a little…"
"Oof… Hey, could you stop tickling me in sync with your words?"
"Before they got together, it was annoying how they weren't together already."
"Are you ignoring me???"
In the end, what role was I supposed to be playing here? With no idea what was going on, I stood next to Ri-na, who, in a rare display, was stringing together words on her own.
"But now that they're together, it's annoying in its own way. So, it's a little— throws me off, you know?"
"R-Right…"
And I was endlessly having my side tickled.
What is even happening right now?
This is a necessary moment.