I Was Sleep-Deprived at a Matchmaking Meeting and Ended Up Engaged - Chapter 20

Sunday for Ayato.

He had been roped into working an event.

An event at a scorching hot beach.

…Who the hell.

Who came up with this kind of event? he thought, even as he busied himself with reception duties.

“Yes!

Mr. Kuruma Kichizaki from Kichizaki Construction, correct?”

After checking the invitation, Ayato looked up.

“Mr. Kuruma?

Why?”

“…Well, asking ‘why’ is a bit strange, isn’t it?”

The beautiful woman from that red car was standing there.

Behind him, Hamako muttered,

“…I smell an enemy.”

Moreover, standing behind her was a cute-looking handsome guy.

Fluffy hair, brown eyes, fair skin.

Looking up at his tall frame, Kuruma Hideko said,

“Maa-kun, you go on ahead.”

“Maa-kun!?”

Both Ayato and Hamako echoed back in surprise.

“…Hey, what’s with you two?”

Hideko retorted.

“Who on earth came up with this ‘Goodwill Beach Volleyball’ thing?”

“Well~, it seems fun for families with children~”

Even though he himself had been complaining, being challenged by Hideko made him reflexively defend the company.

Perhaps thinking this was the coolest spot, Hideko, holding a handheld fan, had planted herself right in front of the reception desk where Ayato was.

The reception was basically over; no one else was coming.

And since Ms. Kuruma was standing right in front of him, it was nice and cool in the shade.

Just as he thought he couldn’t see the beach volleyball at all now, he realized.

That’s right.

Isn’t this the chance to ask?

Looking up at Hideko,

“Um—”

he started to say, when Hideko went “Ah!”

“That woman from before is totally cozying up to Maa-kun!”

Since Hideko’s back was blocking everything, he couldn’t see the ‘cozying up’ part.

Ayato instinctively glanced behind him.

…Hamako-san was gone.

“Ugh~.

To my cute little brother~”

“Ah, he’s your brother?”

“…What did you think he was?”

Hideko turned around.

In that gap, he could see the beach.

Hamako, holding what looked like a complimentary drink, sleeves rolled up, was talking to ‘Maa-kun’, who seemed about to join the beach volleyball game.

“That’s my brother.

Why are you looking so relieved?”

“So, your family lives over there, then?”

“…You thought I was a stalker who moved here chasing after Shirakami-san, didn’t you?”

Nah~, hahaha… Ayato laughed, trying to brush it off.

He probably hadn’t succeeded completely.

“Shirakami-san moved here after us.”

It was fate, I thought, Hideko said.

“When he came by for the moving-in greetings, my parents handled it, so Shirakami-san probably didn’t know I was the resident of that room.

Anyway, I’m not a stalker.

I live there peacefully with my family.

My mother, father, grandparents, and brother.”

“…My apologies for speaking based on assumptions.”

Ayato bowed his head.

“No, what kind of image do you have of me…?”

“Um, the other day, you looked like you had something to say, right?

What was that about?”

Thinking he could ask now, Ayato ventured the question.

After saying “Ahh…”, Hideko seemed hesitant.

“Well, it’s just… you’re probably moving, right? You and Shirakami-san.

…Into a single-family home?”

“…So it seems.”

When he said it as if it were someone else’s business,

How enviable, how jealousy-inducing, she interjected, before saying,

“Actually, my brother works in sales for a house maker, and he’s a bit short on his quota.”

“Ah, is that so.

I can’t make decisions about the house myself, but…

I think it’d be fine to at least go for a tour.”

“Really?” Hideko’s face brightened.

She’s a good older sister, caring about her brother, he thought.

“But, you know.

Hearing you’re getting married and moving out, right after getting dumped… saying something like that is weird, isn’t it?

It feels kinda bad to ask, too.”

“But, to think of your brother’s work right away at a time like that… that’s amazing.

You really care about him.”

Just as he said that, the ‘Maa-kun’ returned, together with Hamako.

“That woman is still stuck to him~!”

…Hamako-san, what about your work?

“Maa-kun,”

Hideko called her cute, fluffy-haired handsome brother.

“This person is building a house, apparently.

She says she’ll come for a tour of the model homes and such.”

“Eh?

Thank you so much!

Ah, that’s right!

Next weekend, we’re having an event.

There will be food stalls, like crepes and shaved ice.”

“…Buying a house worth tens of millions or hundreds of millions for crepes and shaved ice, huh.”

The older sister sabotaged her cute brother’s sales pitch.

A bit of her true feelings seemed to have slipped out.

Beside them,

“Uh, ah, right now, my business cards—”

Maa-kun was flustered.

“I keep telling you to always have them on you, don’t I?”

“Ah, it’s fine, Maa-kun-san.

I’ll ask your sister for the details later.”

“Ah, I’m Masaharu.

Kuruma Masaharu.

But, um, it’s fine… Maa-kun is okay.”

Maa-kun said shyly.

“What is this?”

“Pretty girls have it easy, huh.

First Shirakami-san, and now even my brother—”

Being ganged up on and scolded by the two of them, Ayato tilted his head in confusion.

“Ah—, no, no.

You two are the beautiful ones, aren’t you?”

When he said that, the two of them blushed.

“W-what are you saying!?

It’s not like I’m popular or anything!”

“That’s right!

People say I’m cute, but they don’t really call me beautiful~”

…What is this?

This tsundere-like way of talking.

They’re cute, these two, he thought, just as Yoshinori arrived.

“Ah, are you participating too, Shirakami-san?

Walk-in participants are very welcome!”

Ayato said, but Yoshinori replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Nah, I just heard you were here and came to check on you.”

Looking up at Yoshinori, who stood right beside her, Hideko said dreamily,

“As expected, Shirakami-san is so cool.”

“But, Shirakami-san is marrying this girl, you know!”

Hamako said to her.

“Why are you trying to one-up me with that!?”

The two of them started to bicker.

…Do these two just not get along?

“Um, Shirakami-san,”

Ayato introduced Masaharu to Yoshinori and invited him to go see the model homes.

“Next weekend, we’re having an event too, so please come!”

Masaharu was pitching enthusiastically.

Yoshinori glanced briefly at Ayato.

I’m sorry.

For deciding without asking, Ayato mentally pleaded with Yoshinori.

Then, Yoshinori seemed to perk up,

“Well then, let’s go take a look.

Tell me the detailed location and time later.”

He started to offer his personal cell number and such to Masaharu.

“Shirakami-san, you can’t do that!”

Hamako hurriedly stopped him.

“If you give it to Maa-kun, this person will get her hands on it!”

“Hey, what’s your problem!?”

Hideko and Hamako started bickering again.

“Ayato, you give your number to Maa-kun!”

Hamako said that, then went “Hah!”,

“That’s no good either!”

she corrected herself.

“…Um, later, I’ll contact either Ayato-san or someone at Shirakami-san’s company,”

Masaharu said with a wry smile.

After that, for some reason, Hamako was thanked by Yoshinori with a

“Thank you,”

and she was over the moon.

Similarly, Hideko was also thanked with a

“Thank you,”

and turned bright red.

“It’s the first time Shirakami-san has thanked me!”

“Me too!”

…These two are weirdly in sync.