Hidden Meaning

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There’s an order to things.

When visiting someone’s home, you typically start by deciding on a date, consider your relationship, and determine whether a gift or sweets are necessary. By the time you’re around my age, you’d want to have at least some plan in place before stepping into unfamiliar territory.

However, the sudden turn of events has left me utterly unprepared. After various prompts from the student council president, or rather, my host for the day, I find myself standing before the gates of the Hiiragi residence.

“…President’s home is quite something.”

High gates, well-kept white walls, and a look of tradition passed down through generations. Not a structure built in a single generation, but a home that’s been inherited for centuries. The gate extends taller than I am, with a well-kept tiled roof giving me a friendly greeting.

An odd combination of traditional and modern is evident when I press the intercom at the entrance. Waiting, I notice that the main gate slowly opens.

“Hey, sorry for asking you to come all this way. I’ve got some drinks ready inside, so make yourself at home.”

President popped out and beckoned me and pulled me into the premises.

When I stepped into the yard through the slightly opened gate, it shut close.

…It seems I’ve lost my escape route. I pause, taking a deep breath. Then I turn my gaze back to the President.

She’s there, standing in the front yard, and as I followed behind her, there was a figure that I’ve only seen once before.

“Uh….”

“Oh… Hi, it’s been a while, Minato-kun.”

I’ve heard that President’s father is a little older than my old man, but he exudes a youthful yet mature presence. He’s wearing a casual kimono.

“Nice to see you again.”

I respond, bowing deeply. Usually, this is where I would present a gift, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to prepare anything.

To alleviate the awkward pause when I look up, I bow deeply once more with measured movements, effectively skipping the unsettling moment of locking eyes.

President’s father, who doesn’t seem to mind the lack of a gift, spoke as I looked up again.

“I’ve heard some updates from my daughter, but since you both celebrated the New Year together, I wanted to have a chat. Sorry for the inconvenience amidst your busy schedule.”

“No, not at all… I’m honoured to be here.”

“Alright, let’s move over there and talk more comfortably.”

He gestures inside, and I nod slightly before following President into their home.

As I enter the house, I’m struck by the grandeur of the hallway, the visible pillars, the staircase, and the splendid woodwork used in the construction, quite different from the materials typically seen in modern houses.

I continue following President through her house until we reach the guest room. Her father is already seated there with a low table set up, complete with two cushions for seating.

Slightly nervous, I take a seat beside President and wait for the conversation to begin.

“Are your parents visiting Japan as well?”

President’s father asks, as we sip the tea provided.

I realize he might not be aware of my parent’s recent return to Japan, as the conversation was framed on the assumption that both my parents were overseas. I answer the question while making a mental note to clarify things later.

“My mother has been in Japan since just before the New Year… My father, on the other hand, has a heavy workload abroad and won’t be able to visit this year.”

While sipping my tea, I ponder why I was brought here today. It’s essential to exchange information and ensure we have the same understanding, but I wonder if it’s necessary to invite someone into one’s home for a New Year’s greeting. Perhaps there’s a discrepancy in our mutual knowledge or perception of the situation.

Regardless, I maintain a waiting posture, as there’s too little information for me to bring up a topic. At the right moment, the president’s father smiles and speaks.

“Now… How are you two getting along recently?”

“Even if you ask me…”

I find the question rather vague, and it’s unclear what exactly he’s inquiring about. In response, I ask for clarification, and he chuckles while maintaining his smile.

“You’ve vowed to be together in the future, right? Since Akane’s time as a high school student is short, you must be spending a lot of time together at school, I assume?”

…I see. Indeed, when it comes to our relationship at school, President is my senior and I’m the vice-president, but outside of school, it’s a different story.

Realizing that my relationship with President outside of school had been perceived as part of the arranged marriage proposal, I understood that this misunderstanding needed to be addressed. We have a good relationship, but it is not a romantic one. Therefore, there isn’t anything wrong with spending a lot of time at school.

However, there are some parts that need to be corrected. Should I tell the truth, should I just deal with this as an adult, or should I gently correct his mistake?

Okay, I’ve decided.

I took a sip of the tea that had been prepared, straightened my posture and opened my mouth with a dignified expression typical of Minato-kun.

“No, we haven’t vowed to be together.”

“Fufu…”

President’s father laughs in response to my direct answer.

A sense of humour, you say? It appears that a direct and honest answer is the most effective way to clarify the situation without causing any misunderstandings or further questions.

President burst out laughing at my words which were said without hesitation, and her father’s mouth dropped open. This must be a different story from what he would’ve heard from his daughter.

I wonder how President explained our relationship to her father. When I glanced at her with my eyes half open, she only smiled with a playful expression.

Ah… this is the influence Kirasaka has had. Essentially, you have President as the older sister and Kirasaka as the younger sister. It seems President was influenced by her bad aspects.

“Akane…didn’t you say that you’re getting along well with him?”

“As I’ve told father earlier, I do intend to deepen my relationship with him.”

“I see… Minato, is that how you see it!?”

“…It’s true that I am indebted to her, but I don’t think it has anything to do with arranged marriage, but rather as a senior, junior, and friend.”

When I answered, his expression seemed to say, “Unfortunately…”. He slumped and looked disappointed, but then he immediately shot his head up along with his body form his seat.

He takes my hand as we sit face-to-face and starts whispering as he moves away from the table, heading to the corner of the room.

“Minato, you probably know this to some extent, but my daughter is a bit peculiar. She’s rejected countless arranged marriage proposals, but you’re the only one she’s approved. She thinks differently.”

“Even if you say that…”

I agree with that there was indeed something different with the President. While her uniqueness was evident, it didn’t mean that I was willing to accept an arranged marriage simply because of it.

In my view, feelings were essential in such matters. I believed that you shouldn’t go along with something just because it was an arranged marriage, or because someone was beautiful and exceptional.

A man with sour appearance was leaning in closer to me, I held out my hands begging him to not lean any further, though, I still maintained my negative stance, and in response, when I heard a voice filled with desperation.

“Please… You’re the only one who my daughter likes, and if you say no, then she might remain single forever. As a parent, I wish for my daughter’s happiness, and I’d also like to see my grandchildren!”

“That’s difficult… The probability is not zero, so let’s believe in the other possibilities hidden in your daughter.”

President is certainly an attractive woman. However, she should not become someone who simply follows the future choices made by the adults.

If you follow the path you have chosen for your future and make a mistake and have setbacks, it is your own fault. The responsibility lies with yourself.

While the path of guaranteed success might offer comfort and security, I imagined the day when I might look back and wonder if I had made the right decisions. In that moment, I realized that President’s father’s feelings were not the most important.

What truly mattered was if President genuinely desired an arranged marriage and if I genuinely held feelings for her. The decision about our future should be made with our true intentions, not imposed by others.

I didn’t want our future to be determined by adults’ interventions in that place, with words and promises. However, if I expressed my thoughts openly, I would likely be dismissed as an arrogant child.

So, I decided to navigate the situation diplomatically and simply endure it for now. President seemed to sense my true feelings, and she smiled kindly at me.

She interjected into the conversation with a seemingly light-hearted comment.

“Hey, Father, don’t you find Shinra interesting?”

“Why are you acting like it’s someone else’s business? Is this okay with you?”

President turned around told her father fearlessly.

“We’re in a competition to see who can capture him first, so there is no need to interfere.”

She seemed to be enjoying the situation, as if it were a game. Her father, who had expressed his concern as a parent, had no choice but to remain silent when his daughter told him that her relationship with me was in the midst of a competition and that his interference was unnecessary.

It was clear that the arranged marriage discussion had emerged from her father’s concern for his daughter. So, when she asserted that her father shouldn’t interfere, he had little room to respond.

I couldn’t help but wonder if President had invited me today to put a stop to her father’s involvement in our relationship. Was it just my imagination? No, it didn’t seem like it.

In fact, her mischievous smile and her subtle, confident attitude suggested that she had a motive to assert her independence and prevent her father from meddling further.

It made me realize that perhaps she disliked others interfering in her affairs.

At school, there was no one who dared to question her, and that’s probably why I hadn’t noticed this aspect of her personality.

All women in have pleasant personalities, but behind their smiles, there was sometimes a hidden side that could be quite intimidating.

President then stood up, confidently patting her own arm as if she was preparing to show off her culinary skills.

“Well then, Shinra, would you like to have lunch with me? I’m going to treat you to a special meal today.”

She wore a smug expression, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

She made it look so easy to handle her father.

Truly, our student council president is an amazing person.

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; Recommendation : Fated to Be Loved by Villains ---