Chapter 169: Making Gotoh Hitori a Bride!

Gotoh Naoki was clearly in a state of excitement.

After all, the fact that his daughter had made a male friend was something almost unimaginable to him.

Since childhood, Gotoh Hitori had barely spoken—let alone made friends with boys.

So, it was only natural that he got a bit carried away.

However, compared to Naoki's excitement,

Gotoh Michiyo remained much calmer.

She first smiled and gently signaled for her husband to be quiet.

Then, with a warm expression, she took Minami Shouji's hand and said:

"Minami-kun, knowing that Hitori has a friend like you truly puts our minds at ease.

As my husband mentioned, we hope that you will continue to stay by her side as a friend."

Michiyo's serene smile carried a natural grace.

"Having a male friend like Minami-kun makes both Naoki and me feel reassured."

As expected from the woman who had given birth to a beauty like Gotoh Hitori—

Her smile was exceptionally lovely.

Hearing her words,

Minami simply shook his head and replied earnestly:

"That's too kind of you. I don't deserve such praise.

Being able to stay friends with Hitori is my honor—

Girls like her are far too rare these days."

His demeanor was both refined and natural.

Despite only wearing his High School uniform,

He exuded an air of elegance.

Most importantly—

His words were filled with genuine sincerity.

There was not a trace of pretense or jest in his tone.

This caused Gotoh Naoki and Gotoh Michiyo's eyes to light up with admiration.

What a polite young man.

And he genuinely seemed to care about their daughter!

Not bad… Not bad at all!

However—

While her parents were pleased,

Gotoh Hitori's face had already turned completely red.

"M-Mom! What are you even saying to Minami?!"

"I'm just stating the truth, Hitori."

Michiyo turned to her flustered daughter, gently touching her own cheek as she sighed.

"I've always been worried that you might fall victim to some ill-intentioned man in the future."

"Ugh—!"

Hitori's face turned even redder, but she muttered back in defiance,

"That's not going to happen—!"

"And what makes you so sure?"

Gotoh Michiyo sighed helplessly and shared her thoughts:

"Just think about it, Hitori. What if one day you meet a terrible man—someone who constantly asks you for money to play pachinko, wastes all your savings, and even bullies you into giving him more for his expenses? And if you refuse, he might start hitting you or yelling at you… Hitori, would you be able to stand up to him?"

"Uhh…"

Hitori opened her mouth, instinctively picturing the scene.

"And eventually, it won't stop at pachinko.

He might even sell your beloved guitar for money."

Michiyo's expression was full of concern as she continued,

"By the time that happens, you'll realize just how rare it is to have a friend like Minami-kun."

"Ugh—"

Her mother's words were cutting.

The worst part?

Hitori couldn't even come up with a rebuttal.

Because the more she thought about it, the more she realized—

She really was the kind of person who would just silently endure it.

Fighting back?

Yeah, that's not happening.

But then—

"Michiyo-san, I think you're being a little unfair."

Minami Shouji spoke up in Hitori's defense.

"Sure, there are people like that in this world. But Hitori is already trying her best to change. Judging her future based on how she is right now isn't fair at all."

That's right.

Minami had seen it firsthand—Hitori had worked so hard, step by step, to become who she was today.

He knew how much effort she had put in to overcome her social anxiety and insecurity.

You couldn't just assume that someone's current personality would define them forever.

Maybe in the future,

Hitori would still be shy and reserved.

But when the moment came where she needed to say no—

She would absolutely stand her ground without hesitation.

Just like her online persona—GuitarHero.

Someday,

She would become her own hero.

"I'm not just saying this because I'm her friend.

I genuinely believe in her."

Minami's voice was steady, without a single trace of insincerity.

"M-Minami…"

Hitori's eyes widened slightly.

As someone who had always been insecure and pessimistic,

She never imagined that Minami would have this much faith in her.

Her eyes turned red at the corners—

She made up her mind.

Then, under her parents' shocked gazes,

She reached out and firmly grabbed Minami's hand.

With a determined nod, she declared,

"Dad, Mom! Just like Minami said—don't worry!

I'll keep working hard and doing my best!"

"..."

Gotoh Naoki and Gotoh Michiyo were at a complete loss for words.

They had never expected to hear words like "working hard" and "doing my best" from their daughter.

And even more shocking—

The same daughter who used to be afraid of making eye contact with strangers…

Had just held hands with a boy in front of them.

Their brains stalled for a moment.

But being mature adults,

They quickly composed themselves.

Their eyes landed on their daughter's face,

Now flushed red with embarrassment.

Then, they looked at her hand—

The one that had just grabbed Minami's before quickly letting go.

This—

This wasn't normal.

Something was definitely off.

Realizing that their daughter's relationship with Minami might not be just friendship,

Michiyo exchanged a look with Naoki.

Her meaning was simple.

Could it be…?

That Hitori actually… likes Minami-kun?

As someone who had been married to Michiyo for over a decade,

Naoki immediately understood her message.

He gave her a small nod of agreement.

Yeah—

She had just held his hand.

And they had never seen their socially anxious daughter act this way around a boy before.

They made eye contact.

And as husband and wife,

They came to a silent agreement.

"Minami-kun."

Michiyo spoke up, still wearing her usual gentle smile.

"Is there something you need, Michiyo-san?"

Minami asked, his expression calm.

"It's nothing much,"

Michiyo continued with a warm smile.

"Hitori told me that you were the one who found Futari for us.

And for that, I'd like to properly thank you.

So, Minami-kun—

Would you be free sometime soon?

We'd love to have you over for dinner."

Dinner?

Minami shook his head.

"Hitori and I are friends.

Helping out is just a given.

There's no need for such formalities."

It was true.

As Futari's big brother figure,

It was only natural for him to make sure she didn't get lost.

He wasn't about to just stand by and do nothing.

"No, no, we insist."

Michiyo clasped her hands together and smiled.

"Then it's settled! Next weekend, Minami-kun, you'll come to our house for dinner.

How about it?"

Seeing how insistent she was—

And given that she was his friend's mother—

Minami thought about it for a moment.

Then, he nodded.

"Since you've invited me so warmly, I'd be honored to join you."

It wasn't a big deal.

It's not like he was being invited over as a future son-in-law.

It was just dinner.

However—

Next to him,

Hitori looked as if she had just been struck by lightning.

E-Eh?!

M-M-MINAMI IS COMING OVER FOR DINNER?!

The surprise came at her like a whirlwind.

She had zero time to process it.

D-Dinner…

Sure, it was at her house.

But Minami was willingly setting aside his weekend to come over…

In a way,

Wasn't this a golden opportunity?

Her mind started racing.

She sneaked a glance at Minami's face—

Her expression now a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

"As expected…"

Gotoh Naoki and Gotoh Michiyo—who had raised Hitori for over a decade—

Noticed her change in expression immediately.

They exchanged glances.

And at that moment,

They confirmed their suspicions.

Our daughter…

Definitely likes Minami-kun.

Thinking this,

The two parents smiled.

And then—

They started making small talk with Minami.

Minami, being as socially adept as ever,

Engaged them effortlessly.

His way with words was impeccable,

Keeping the conversation both pleasant and engaging.

Eventually,

It was time for Minami and Hitori to leave.

After all,

Hitori still had to go back to work at the Maid & Butler Café.

And as for Minami—

Even though he had no immediate obligations,

Something told him that the Shuka Festival was far from over.

As the two of them left,

Naoki and Michiyo waved them off with smiles.

And once they were out of sight—

Naoki turned to his wife, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"I wasn't imagining things, right?

Hitori really does like Minami-kun, doesn't she?!"

Michiyo nodded.

"I think so."

As a woman,

She understood her daughter's feelings better than anyone.

That same daughter—

Who had been shy and withdrawn since kindergarten—

Had finally found someone she liked.

"I never expected Hitori to have such good taste..."

Gotoh Michiyo sighed in admiration.

Honestly, despite her daughter's shyness, low self-esteem, and average academic performance—not to mention a whole list of other flaws—her judgment in people was surprisingly on point.

She had managed to set her sights on someone as outstanding as Minami Shouji in an instant.

First place in the National Mock Exams.

If he could maintain that level of performance, getting into Tokyo University's Medical School would practically be a given.

And after chatting with Minami earlier, she had learned that he came all the way from Akita Prefecture to study in Tokyo.

That only made her even more satisfied.

"Ahem—well, looking at it from another angle, Michiyo, your taste isn't bad either."

Gotoh Naoki, hearing his wife praise Minami so much, couldn't help but feel a slight sense of male rivalry.

Clearing his throat, he made his remark.

"..."

Michiyo shot her husband a glance—then let out a small sigh.

"Naoki, have you forgotten?"

Her voice was calm.

"Back when you were obsessed with your rock band, because you could never make it big... I almost broke up with you?"

"Ugh—!"

Naoki flinched as if struck by lightning.

That...

That was a painful memory he could never forget.

He had once thrown himself completely into rock music, pouring everything into his band.

But the band never popped off—it never made any money.

And so, Michiyo had ultimatumed him with the words:

"If you don't find a real job soon, we're breaking up."

This forced him to give up rock music and find a job.

"But even so, Naoki, you're still just a 'window-seat employee' to this day."

Gotoh Michiyo spoke again, her serene smile unwavering.

"Guh!"

Gotoh Naoki let out a defeated cry, completely crushed.

In Japan, a "window-seat employee" refers to a worker who is sidelined in the workplace.

These employees are not trusted by their superiors, yet instead of being fired outright, they are assigned to remote, insignificant spots like by the window or in storage rooms—far away from actual work.

With just two casual remarks, Michiyo effortlessly shot down her husband's fleeting moment of pride.

Having settled that, both Michiyo and Naoki turned their attention back to Minami and Hitori, watching their figures gradually disappear into the distance.

From just this first meeting alone, their impression of Minami Shouji was exceptional.

But, of course—

To truly understand a person, a single encounter wasn't enough.

There was still a lot they didn't know about Minami.

And if possible, as Hitori's parents, they wanted to learn more about him.

After all—

Their daughter had clearly fallen for him.

And judging by how deep she seemed to have fallen…

They needed to make sure they understood just who this boy really was.

This was one of the biggest reasons why they invited Minami over for dinner.

"In the end, whether he's outstanding or not doesn't really matter."

Michiyo gently shook her head.

"As long as Hitori can be happy in the future, that's all that matters."

"Yeah."

Naoki nodded in agreement.

Even if Minami wasn't exceptionally talented,

As long as he could make Hitori happy—

That was more than enough for them as parents.

Lying in Naoki's arms, little Futari listened to her parents' conversation.

Her bright blue eyes flickered with curiosity as she watched Minami's distant figure.

Then, she suddenly asked—

"Is the handsome big brother going to come to our house to play?"

"That's right, Futari."

Naoki chuckled and teased,

"So next time that handsome big brother comes over, you have to help your unreliable big sister and make sure he stays, okay?"

"Mhm! Okay!"

Futari clenched her tiny fists with determination.

She lifted her small face and declared seriously—

"I'll do my best to make big sis become the handsome big brother's bride!"