Chapter 34: Deadline
"..."
"..."
'How could this happen? How could this thing happen!!?!!'
I yelled in my mind frantically like a mental patient that you could find in the movies. At this moment, the atmosphere surrounding me was extremely lethal and dangerous. I didn't know that Charlotte could be crazy and scary like that. Was she the main heroine that I'd known in the text? Was she a pseudo-childhood friend that I'd known for 3 years?
Currently, they seemed to have a staring contest in front of me.
Her eyes almost burst out a flow of frustrated wave when she looked at the partner, whom my grandma wanted to introduce to me. Meanwhile, the crimson-haired girl with a pair of pink eyes still maintained a positive smile outside but I knew her smile was fake. It was scary. Only looking at me, she let out a gentle expression like she'd known me for a long time. Was I wrong?
Her crimson hair was built into a mochi on the head, her pinky eyes were like a succubus with the color theme of sensuality. Her dress was decent like a princess dress, which was a great thing that could hide an increasing population tool under that skirt. Her accessories and jewelry were all luxurious, I could identify some items my mom bought for me with the same shape.
The appearance wasn't important for now.
The scene was like a preparation stage for war.
Weird, indeed.
The other party shouldn't have had any reason to hate Charlotte for the first time they met. Not to mention, she should have been in the same mood as me. When you were suddenly told that you had a blind date partner, shouldn't you reject or oppose that agreement?
Like the plot of the villainess novel, the supposed-to-be future fiancee finds that their partner is not to their taste, and then throws her away like a broken doll, which lets her be blackened later. It should be so.
However, it went against my expectations...This unisex girl didn't seem to reject or desperately draw a clear line with me, did she? The strange feelings began to sprout inside my heart as I continued to observe this girl. Familiar...Somehow, this word popped up in my mind for no reason.
"Shinonawa-san, aren't you disturbing us to understand each other?"
"And you aren't even supposed to be there in the first place"
"It's our blind date"
Otonashi-san coldly reminded Charlotte, the main heroine. Weren't you afraid of the black lash of luck when you went against her, Otonashi-san? Honestly, her voice was surprisingly pleasant to my ears. It was like a spring breeze whispering nearby.
I was also quite curious about her. After all, in front of me was the legendary F*tanari that only existed in Doujinshi in my previous life.
Her pheromone was unique as I found myself being attracted to her without my consciousness. It made me catch off guard when sitting near her. The smell refreshed my mind with the lemongrass taste in the air while competing with the Rose pheromone from Charlotte.
She was like a succubus, a creature that was good at seducing people.
"When did you have an illusion that the blind date has only one partner? I'm also her partner on this date"
Charlotte began to make a counterattack and cross her legs with a provocative smile. Why did the event suddenly turn into a fight?
"Blind date doesn't mean engagement, Otonashi-san"
"She has the choice to decide who she will be with, right, Sui-chan?"
"???"
I just sat there and you dragged me into the minefield! Were my ears hearing something wrong? Did you even see that I have a choice? Obviously! No!!
I took a glance at the position of my grandma. Yup...Her eyes were like a bullet that was going to pierce me to death.
"Ah...Um..."
Why did I have the illusion that I didn't even have a choice from the beginning?
"But Sui-chan, why is your little attendant there? Shouldn't she have to respect her master's privacy?"
"Eh?"
Charlotte's eyes were so weird. I meant...Why did she raise her guard against Mizuno-san? However, what she just said had no point in refusing. Weird.
I turned to look at Mizuno-san, but her face...This was the face of the first time I'd met her in the past.
Emotionless...Her eyes were like she was about to kill someone. Scary.
"Blind date means my master will meet an unknown person. As her attendant, I have an obligation to protect her from someone who once used force against her"
"According to the Mizuno family's training, I have a right to present myself there"
"..."
"..."
Silence... There was a silence in the atmosphere. I could feel that its temperature dropped to the absolute Zero Degree.
Ah, I wished to have Hyouri's existence for this moment. What to do?
Just one day. Only one day, everything had turned my life around like a game. First, Charlotte's confession to me was so sudden, and then, the second event was the disappearance of Hyouri, making my life messier than ever. Finally, this was the blind date thing of my grandma.
It was not that I hated the other party, but this sudden matching made my brain exhausted.
Regardlessly, I had to deal with it by myself without any extra help.
How could I answer Charlotte's confession? If I agreed to her, then I could've gotten rid of this blind date. However, I would put myself in a dangerous position because I had to face the main protagonist and his harem members. When I took the main heroine away, would the plotline still maintain itself? Or would the will of the world try to correct me by manipulating everyone's memory?
Not to mention, I did not know whether I loved her or not. If I agreed blindly, both of us would be hurt at the same time. It would be even crueler if I gave her a rejection.
I, myself, had experienced from the point of view of an Otaku, who watched countless Romcom novels. Hence, I could guarantee that outcome.
Hah...I wanted to sigh...However, the current scene didn't allow me to do such a simple action. The only good thing was my only weapon left, the emotionless facade outside.
Was it effective? No...My best weapon had been dismantled by the dazzling heroine of this world.
I wanted to run and go straight home...After everything, this was the only and best solution that I've been good at.
"Hmm...Fine~I just hope that you don't have any idea with MY Sui-chan!"
Charlotte grimaced.
"Ahaha~your joke is so funny, Shinonawa-san, she's not yours"
Otonashi-san smiled sarcastically.
"It's just not YET"
Charlotte turned cold and spoke, and then she made a business smile after that.
"Huh? Am I hearing wrong?"
Ototnashi-san wrinkled her brows.
"Nope, I've confessed my love to her before. However, she didn't reject me immediately. It means I still have my chance. What's about you?"
"..."
Ugh...She was so sharp that I couldn't believe in my eyes and ears. It was like I'd known Charlotte for the first time because she kept refreshing her image in front of me. Was she a silly and hilarious character in the novel?
I also felt sorry for her. I was indeed a scumbag because I hang her up for too long.
"Heh, time can only answer~You've studied with her in the same school and had many opportunities to stick with her but can't get her agreement. Besides that, this is my first...nope, yeah, the first time that I've met her face to face like this"
"If I don't count the time when I attended her concert"
"!!!"
Crazy~
This unisex girl in front of me was so scary!!!
It seemed that her appearance couldn't tell all of her personality. She was fierce.
This was the second time I'd ever met this kind of person. If you asked about the first person, it would be my student in my past life when I was earning money by being a part-time Piano tutor. That girl was bold and fierce. She was always straightforward and lived an honest life. Her dislike was those dishonest people.
My memory turned into a reminiscent mode.
Her name was Natsuhana Kaori. She came from another dimension, which was a huge gap between us. Unlike me, a fake Oujo-sama in this life, who had memories of the past, she was indeed a real Oujo-sama from a wealthy family majoring in Software. However, from the outsiders' perspective, they could only envy and be jealous of her with the identity of the rich second generation, but they didn't know the story behind it.
In the enormous fortune, God of my old world had put on her a curse with the name 'Terminal Illness'. As a result, my job to teach her didn't even last long, because she needed to go overseas to recuperate from her illness. She was the same kind as me, a fellow who loved music. Hence, we had a lot of common points when talking with each other. It was just she was practical without an imaginative sense.
I missed that girl...Her straightforwardness...Her mouth always spoke out what she thought without hiding anything. She was the kind of person 'If you treat her sincerely, you will be good'. I didn't know whether she had cured her illness to live better or whatsoever, but I hoped there wouldn't be any misfortune in that girl's life.
When she just left Japan, not long after, I had an accident that has haunted me until now.
*Crack*
Eh? What did I just hear? Something was cracking, wasn't it? Or did my ears get wrong?
"Hmm...Is that so? After all, you're just a small person in the audience. Where does your confidence come from?"
"..."
When did my blind date turn into a fight?!!!
The two of them began to fight by words and found a way to attack each other. Was I worth that much?
"Oujo-sama, let me lead you to find something to eat. According to the situation, they'll fight soon, and your safety will be endangered"
Mizuno-san suddenly pulled me out and asked me to eat. Ah...Speaking of which, I hadn't eaten anything before coming to this party venue.
As soon as I intended to leave to find something, Charlotte immediately grabbed my hand and spoke.
"Sui-chan, I will take care of you. I knew where your favorite food was placed"
Then, she smiled manly and grinned her teeth while giving an assured look.
"..."
She was too good...too good for me...My heart wrenched hurtfully as I began to blame myself.
How could I stop messing up everything?
"Um"
I nodded slightly and evaded her stare because I couldn't be eye to eye with her.
Then, her firm fingers locked my hand into her palm and she led me to the food stands. Like every time in school, after my sister's graduation, she was always there with me, and ate together every day...However, after the confession, she became bolder and bolder. Perhaps, she had confessed to me so she didn't even hold back or hide anything.
"Hoshiyuki-san, you shouldn't consider me as an outsider, right?"
Subsequently, I almost forgot Otonashi-san was still there.
"Ah...You can come with us"
"Hmm...Then, can you let that hand out of Hoshiyuki-san, Shinonawa-san?"
"I can see that you lead everything there and Hoshiyuki-san just follows your flow"
She commented in an annoying tone. Ah...I messed up again...I shouldn't let Charlotte hold my hand! What to do? It was rude to her...
My mind went blank because I couldn't think of anything.
"Tsk..."
Charlotte finally parted my hand away. Mizuno-san also looked at Charlotte with an unkind gaze...Hey...I needed someone to help me!!!
"Hoshiyuki-san, I also knew that you like rice, so how about sushi?"
"Eh?"
"Hey, how can you know her favorite?"
Charlotte showed a shocked expression.
I was also frozen by her words. I hadn't talked anything to her. How could she know my taste?
"What's with your two expressions? Not only am I her fan, but also want to be her partner. Of course, I have to research beforehand"
"Hoshiyuki-san. Actually, I agree with the blind date agreement because I want to be with you"
"Eh?"
It turned out she was also interested in me. No wonder...no wonder she didn't act like a rebellious child in some engagement plots.
Charlotte's face was scary...As if she wanted to tear off that girl's face...
"But shouldn't you object when suddenly meeting a person out of nowhere?"
"That's why it's a blind date, isn't it? Moreover, you're more famous than you think. I will be called stupid because I let you get out of my grasp"
So straightforward...She spoke her mind without hiding anything.
"Then, can I refuse you?"
I asked worriedly.
"Hmm...If you want to refuse me, then state out my bad things and what you find annoying"
"..."
How could I pinpoint your bad point after just one meeting?!!!
"If you can't, then I won't retreat"
It made sense...Wait a minute! Didn't it mean we would meet again in the future?
"Sui-chan, if you agree to be my partner, then these things won't procrastinate in the future, nee~"
Charlotte whispered in my ears.
Stop!!! I didn't want to play with others' emotions!!! Especially, you, Charlotte...If I agree to be with you, won't both of us be hurt in the future?!
"No...I want more time to think..."
"I know"
Both of them seemed to be satisfied with the current solution.
Sorry, this was the only answer that I could give to them. Her expression was slightly disappointed but regained her liveliness like before.
I could only delay...without an actual solution.
And then, we could only maintain the silence and focus on our meal...
"Suiri, how about your blind date?"
A strict voice reached my ears as the party was about to end. My sister and parents had to do their job when communicating with others. No one could help me in this situation. My Aunt was offline, but if she was there, my grandma would be pissed off by her.
"Um, I don't know"
"..."
Her eyes began to speculate me and she shook her head.
"Fine~, Hoshiyuki Suiri, you're so good that you have two partners chasing after you"
"No matter what your choice is, I respect any of them"
"But I couldn't break the promise with others"
"Therefore, in the new semester, you will go out of the house, and live together with the two of them. The deadline is the graduation of your high school"
"As long as you find a suitable partner, it's them or not. Otherwise, you will marry straight to that girl of the Otonashi family"
She finished her dignified speech and threw me a bomb.
"Eh?"
I was kicked out of the house before the plot began.
"I, the Otonashi family, and the Shinonawa family have all discussed your marriage"
"Isn't it simple? You just pick one of them or have a person who is even comparable to them"
"I know my words contradict my actions, but Suiri, this is the freedom that I can give you"
"At least, in the wealthy circle, you have a choice"
"Do you understand, Suiri?"
"..."
So...I had a deadline at the end of the graduation day of my high school. However, I had to leave the house and live together with that bold girl, and the main Heroine.
"Yes"
At least, I didn't get engaged straight away. It was already a mercy in this cruel wealthy circle. However, how could I find a person that I loved but had a comparable background to them...It was almost impossible. Mio...nope...It seemed that without my engagement with her, her family couldn't bloom to be compared with the top 3 and 4.
The business of her family had been stagnant for a long time as they couldn't enter the technology field.
Himeki...No news about her family so far...
Mizuno-san...she was just a little attendant...How could she prove that she's worth the position in my grandma's mind?
"Go home and rest"
"Prepare for tomorrow's transfer"
Ah...I was kicked straight away.
"Yes, thank you, grandma"
"Yeah, in addition, that place isn't far away from your home so don't worry too much"
"You can come back home to play like before"
Grandma...She was so thoughtful...
"Grandma..."
"Yes?"
"I love you"
Then, I finished our talking with a hug. To be honest, the high-heel shoes were indeed uncomfortable.
"Hmm...I love you too, Suiri"
"It seems that you're more open than before"
My journey to express my love to my whole family seemed to reach an end. I have already expressed my love to them...Another burden could be lifted away.
Aunt Mei: "???" Where is my hug????