363: Don’t Bully My Sister (2)

After stepping into the entranceway under Hitori's invitation, Chisato noticed someone peeking at them from the hallway—half of a man's head cautiously poking out to observe them.

The man quickly pulled back but then reappeared in the exact same position, this time with two others beside him—one big, one small.

If he wasn't mistaken, the man was probably Hitori's father.

The woman covering her mouth with her eyes mysteriously moist should be Hitori's mother.

And as for the short little kid balancing a Shiba Inu on their head, that was most likely Hitori's younger sister.

"Okay, okay, shoes changed! Let's go straight to my room!"

Hitori immediately grabbed Chisato by the wrist.

This action instantly elicited different reactions from the parents blatantly spying on them from the corner.

Hitori's father, from who-knows-where, pulled out a handkerchief and started biting it furiously.

Hitori's mother… Hey, don't start crying!

"That's not very polite, is it? This is my first time at your house; I should at least say hello to your parents."

Hitori wasn't unaware of the proper etiquette Chisato was talking about—it was just that she was too shy to introduce him to her family properly.

More importantly, her parents… should she call them naturally enthusiastic or just plain over-the-top? 

She had a strong feeling that if she formally introduced Chisato to them, they'd end up doing something incredibly embarrassing.

"It's fine! They're very open-minded parents, they wouldn't mind something like this."

"Even so, it's basic manners to properly greet the hosts when visiting for the first time."

"A-actually, my parents are really difficult. They'll definitely bombard you with questions, and it'll be such a hassle, wasting so much time. 

So it's really better not to greet them at all… Ow! That hurts!"

Chisato withdrew his hand after delivering a karate chop to her head.

"How could you talk about your parents like that? Besides, I don't have anything urgent to do, so I don't mind if it takes a little time."

Hitori ultimately couldn't change the outcome.

Before she even realized it, she was already standing in front of her parents and younger sister, officially introducing them to Chisato.

Acting as the middleman, she made the introductions.

"Um… this is my mom, my dad, and my little sister, Futari. On her head is Jimihen. And this is… Suzumiya Chisato."

That was it? Just his name for the introduction?

Chisato gave a small bow to Hitori's family and handed them the fruit he had brought. He then turned his attention to Hitori, curious about what she was thinking.

But Hitori, looking guilty, turned her face away, avoiding eye contact.

That reaction was quite intriguing.

Before Chisato could dwell on it too much, Hitori's mother suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his hand.

"Suzumiya-kun!"

"Ah, yes!"

"Thank you so much for being friends with Hitori."

"N-no, it's nothing…"

Over the next half-hour, Chisato finally understood what Hitori had meant by "difficult parents."

After the initial greetings and thanks, Hitori's mother made him sit beside her, took out a thick photo album from Hitori's childhood to the present, and started flipping through it one page at a time—complete with detailed commentary and embarrassing stories about her eldest daughter's growth.

No detail was spared. She even brought up Hitori's dramatic overreaction when she had her first period in middle school, including the exact date.

Apparently, Hitori had burst into her mother's room in tears, convinced she was dying, saying things like "Take care, Mom and Dad. Please live well without me."

Chisato didn't find it annoying at all—in fact, he thought it was quite amusing. So he had no reason to be impatient.

For some reason, though, in the middle of all this, Hitori's father—who had been silently watching his daughter stare at Chisato without once looking at him—suddenly covered his face with his arms, let out a muffled sob, and ran out of the living room.

"Uh, is Uncle okay…?"

"Don't worry about him. He's overly sensitive sometimes. Just ignore him, he'll be fine in a bit."

Chisato was a little concerned, but Hitori's mother waved it off like it was nothing. Then she continued talking about her daughter's recent life events.

Hitori, on the other hand, desperately wanted to end this embarrassing trip down memory lane.

Several times, she even stood up, attempting to interrupt her mother's monologue and drag Chisato to her room.

But every time she met Chisato's gaze, she crumbled. In the end, she could only bury her face in her hands, enduring this social death moment.

Finally, after nearly an hour, Hitori's mother closed the thick photo album.

Her opinion of the handsome, patient, and well-spoken young man beside her had skyrocketed.

She never expected it—her most worrisome eldest daughter, who had never shown interest in making friends, had brought home such an outstanding young man. 

She absolutely couldn't let this one slip away.

Meanwhile, Hitori sat with her mouth slightly open, eyes blank and unfocused.

The sheer "mental damage" she'd suffered left her in a near-unrecoverable state.

Her mother was just too uninhibited—she hadn't even treated Chisato as an outsider at all. 

If she had pulled out the family's bankbook and shared it with him, it wouldn't have been surprising at this point.

"…Sorry, I got a little too excited today. I completely forgot to prepare dinner. Some of Hitori's other friends are coming over later, so I need to hurry and get ready."

"You've worked hard."

"It's no trouble! Suzumiya-kun, you're welcome to visit every weekend from now on!"

Mrs. Gotoh finally wrapped up her conversation, completely satisfied.

The numb and dazed Hitori mechanically led Chisato up to the second floor and into her room.

Seeing Hitori still looking so out of it, Chisato decided to tease her a little. He picked up the piggy bank on her desk—something he had just heard Mrs. Gotou talk about.

Apparently, this piggy bank was a gift from Hitori's grandmother a long time ago. 

Back then, her grandmother had jokingly told her that the money inside should be saved for her future wedding.

After all these years, the piggy bank was already full. It felt heavy in his hands.

"Hitori, it seems like you've been planning for your future since you were little. That's really admirable."

"Ugh! Please stop talking!"

Hitori rushed up to Chisato, but instead of reaching out to take the piggy bank, she just kept shaking her head and trying to attack him with her hair.

Of course, such a light and fluffy attack was completely ineffective. Instead, it just made Chisato laugh.

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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

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