The Girl Who Sweats Easily And The Boy With Bad Posture - Chapter 81

[POV Ichinose Kentarou]

That day, Mai’s father, Ichinose Kentarou, was deeply unsettled.

“Ugh…”

Even though he had been sitting at his desk and facing his computer since morning, his mind was elsewhere.

He was 45 years old, and it was completely unthinkable that something like this would happen to a man whose defining trait was his seriousness.

After spending the whole day in that state, he was now on his way home.

His mind was filled with only one question: what kind of expression should he have when meeting his daughter’s boyfriend?

Back when Mai was in her rebellious phase during middle school and told him not to wash her underwear with the rest of the laundry, there was a time when he hesitated to come home.

Because of his seriousness, he had a very sensitive heart.

In today’s world, with so much sexual promiscuity, had his daughter also ended up becoming intimate with her boyfriend?

If that’s the case, are they using protection?

Thoughts like that kept swirling restlessly in his mind.

[Papa… I… I’m pregnant.]

All he could do was imagine the worst.

“…Mai has a boyfriend…”

Looking back now, it makes sense that his daughter, who had started staying in her room more often since last year, seemed to be going out frequently aside from their family outings recently.

And the other day, when his daughter spent about an hour choosing a yukata with his wife Azusa before going out, that too must have been for that reason.

The thought made his chest feel heavy.

Was it jealousy from feeling like his daughter had been taken from him… or was it anxiety about not knowing what kind of person her boyfriend was…

With such a heavy heart, he stopped by a sushi shop in the busy downtown area.

His wife had told him to stop by earlier this morning.

“Welcome!!”

“…I’m Ichinose, I placed a takeout order…”

This wasn’t his first time ordering a sushi platter from this restaurant.

For his daughter’s Shichi-Go-San, and her elementary, middle, and high school entrance ceremonies…

They frequently ordered it for celebratory occasions.

But this time… is it really something to celebrate?

He was filled with such conflicting emotions.

“It was the deluxe platter for five, right… It’s ready.”

“Hm? Five servings?”

He widened his eyes. Counting himself, his wife Azusa, their daughter Mai, and… the enemy her boyfriend, it should have been four.

And yet he was told it was for five.

This was clearly his wife’s doing.

Now that he thought about it, his wife had said something this morning.

“Hmm, I wonder how much a growing boy eats.”

Is she seriously intending to let the enemy (boyfriend) eat two portions?

A feeling of helpless frustration began to simmer within him.

Kentarou finished paying and made his way out of the sushi restaurant.

The heaviness in his walk gave way to tension, and he could feel his limbs tightening with rage.

“…Just… just what… kind of guy is he…”

The look on his face became more strained and uneasy.

At last, he found himself standing in front of his house.

In the carport’s bicycle area, there was one unfamiliar bike parked. Right next to his daughter’s.

Upon opening the front door, he saw a pair of men’s sneakers clearly not belonging to his wife and daughter.

The enemy (boyfriend) was already inside the house.

“I’m home.”

In response to his voice, his wife peeked her head out from the living room.

“Welcome home, Kentarou-san.”

His wife Azusa was grinning, and he could not understand why she could smile at a time like this.

Why could she smile when the enemy (boyfriend) who threatened the household was here?

“So… is he here?”

Kentarou handed the sushi box to his wife and asked her the question, and she responded with a full smile.

“Yes, he’s here… and he’s such a nice boy.”

The enemy (boyfriend) had even won over his wife.

He felt his heartbeat growing faster and louder.

His mouth grew dry, and a feeling of unease set in.

Then he entered the living room.

“Welcome home, Dad.”

Sitting beside his daughter on the sofa was the enemy(boyfriend).

“Ah… n-nice to meet you… I’m Asou Naoyuki…”

It seemed like the enemy had a serious personality…

That was Ichinose Kentaro’s first impression of Asou Naoyuki…

Chapter length 1640 characters.

TL Note: The characters use to describe both the father’s and Nao’s personality can all mean serious, earnest, grave, honest, and sincere. I kept just as serious but if anyone feels it’s one of the others I will change it.