I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

A mother is not always authoritative.

Although she never dared to disobey her orders or instructions from childhood, and would shrink back in fear when she looked at her seriously, she deeply admired the head of the Yukinoshita family, who brought prosperity to the family and never suffered a loss in a game against others. Her greatest dream was to become a woman like her.

But Yukino Yukinoshita had also seen her mother tease the sisters like a child, and occasionally act childish and irreverent, and felt very close to this side of her that was unknown to outsiders.

...And then, there are some things that are difficult to deal with.

There's no way around it; she's the kind of woman who can seamlessly switch between joking and serious conversation—one second she might be smiling and teasing you, and the next she might be warning you to be careful with a sarcastic and cold voice.

Her attitude changes so easily that it's impossible to guess what she's thinking.

They are much harder to deal with than people who always have a serious face. This is probably what it feels like to try to get something out of a tiger.

Although this tiger is one of her most beloved family members.

"Well, although I'd love to continue this precious mother-daughter conversation, it's getting late. Let's leave the rest for when we meet again."

Yukinoshita Saori sighed softly, as if in sorrow, and then in the next instant, her tone returned to a gentle and calm one.

"Yukino, isn't this weekend Soubu High School's cultural festival? I heard your club filmed a short film. I'll go check it out. Remember to save me a seat."

"!?!" Before she could recover from her shock, Yukino instinctively opened her mouth, almost blurting out her objection.

But in the end, she just bit her lip in frustration, said nothing, and fell silent.

...If my mother really wants to come, I can't stop her.

Although she spoke in a questioning tone, the mother's words clearly indicated that she had already made up her mind and would not be easily swayed by others.

To change her mind, you must come up with a sufficiently strong and absolutely valid reason.

As long as reason prevails over her, her mother will not be stubborn and is even willing to make changes—but the worst thing is that neither she nor her sister have ever succeeded in doing so in the past.

As was the case, Yukino Yukinoshita silently accepted this fact and completely gave up on futile struggles.

The only person in this world who could make her surrender unconditionally is probably her mother...

Yes, except for him.

"Yonai will let you know the specific time. We should all go together then, so remember to pick us up," the mother said gently.

"I understand. However, I still have executive committee work to do that day, so I can't spare much time."

He hugged his knees with both hands and leaned his back against the soft sofa chair.

As Yukino responded calmly, a cold glint flashed in her eyes, and a sneer appeared on her lips.

It was definitely my sister's doing again...

They revealed that their service department was filming a movie, which sparked the mother's interest in the cultural festival. What exactly is her plan?

Is it to let Tenkuji-kun meet his parents early?

No, she couldn't be that stupid.

Given his exceptional qualities, it's impossible to imagine his mother opposing his relationship with her, or even actively trying to bring them together—and doing something that benefits someone else is completely contrary to Yukino Yukinoshita's principles.

"Humph……"

Rubbing the deep furrows between her brows, Yukino Yukinoshita let out a soft breath, her expression returning to its sternness.

Even after what happened yesterday, my older sister still has no intention of behaving herself...

That's right, just as she expected. This is exactly what Yukinoshita Haruno would do.

I was already on guard; all that remained was figuring out how to respond.

"It's okay, I won't stay for too long. I'll just take a quick look and then come back to work."

Yukino's mother's voice pulled her back to reality. She breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Is that so...? Then I'll try my best to make time for you. If that's not possible, I'll have to ask my friends to host you."

"Don't worry too much, just do whatever is convenient for you." With a snap, Yukinoshita Saori opened her fan and said with some dissatisfaction, "Does my daughter think I'm the kind of person who would cause trouble if left unattended?"

"...Not really. It's just that I feel more at ease having someone watching over things." Forcing back the urge to tell the truth, Yukino said calmly, "Is there anything else? If not, I'm going to wash up and go to bed."

"Okay, that's all for now. Goodnight, Yukino."

Upon hearing the gentle and sincere voice from the other end, Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but smile faintly, and softly spoke into the phone:

"Good night, Mom."

Just as she was about to hang up, her mother seemed to remember that there was something she hadn't said yet, and suddenly spoke again.

"Oh, right, Yukino."

"Ok?"

"If you get a boyfriend, remember to tell your family."

"..."

"I don't mean to restrict your freedom to date, and I trust your judgment. I don't think you'll fall for someone of questionable character... But when it comes to relationships, as the daughter of the Yukinoshita family, you should be more cautious than others."

"Well……"

"Your sister has recently started dating, and she even made a bracelet for her boyfriend herself. She's completely regressed to the way a high school girl is in her first love... But she's very tight-lipped and won't tell me anything. I haven't heard of anyone in college who's particularly close to her."

"Aha……"

"Yukino, I hope you won't be like Haruno and will have more trust in your mother. Once you've confirmed that the person is trustworthy, bring him home for us to meet. The future son-in-law of the Yukino family can't wait until right before the wedding to meet the parents."

"that……"

“This isn’t to urge you to find a boyfriend quickly. You’re only seventeen. Your studies should be your priority. But if you do meet someone you like someday, Yukino, you have to remember…” The old woman’s nagging voice paused, and Yukinoshita Saori asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? You seem to have something to say.”

"..."

Looking out at the clear night sky through the floor-to-ceiling window, Yukino Yukinoshita opened her mouth slightly and hesitated for a few seconds.

She coughed twice to cover her embarrassment, her face slightly flushed, and spoke calmly into the phone:

"Unlike my sister, I already have a boyfriend with whom I have a stable relationship. He is a classmate in the same club as me."

"...You're not mistaken?" After a long pause, the mother exclaimed, unable to hide her astonishment, "You already have a boyfriend?!"

Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes... even I have someone I like so much that I want to be with them forever."

If it were a mother, she probably could tell something just by looking at her expression while she was talking to him.

Since that's the case, why not just openly admit to the relationship before she finds out on her own—and then apologize to Tenkuji-kun afterwards?

After all, this is an inevitable hurdle in any relationship...

And to be honest, she didn't want to avoid it either.

Introducing Tenkuji-kun to her mother as her lover—just imagining that scene made her feel a burning sensation in her chest, an itch all over her body, a shy and embarrassed feeling, yet also a joy so intense she didn't know how to express it.

Because I like him, I want the people around me to like him too;

I want him to like his family and I want to see my mother's satisfied expression towards him.

She gently placed her palm on her rapidly beating heart, took a deep breath, and tried to remain calm, but the corners of her lips and the tone of her voice still involuntarily curved into a pleasant and reassuring smile.

"So, you don't need me to bring him home; you'll be able to meet him during the cultural season!"

At that moment, Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously forgot the most important thing.

Yuu Tenkuji is not just her boyfriend.

In other words—

Yuu Tenkuji is not just a prospective son-in-law of the Yukinoshita family.

……

Yuihama family.

"Mom, are you really coming to our school?"

"What, can't an old lady like me, who's over thirty, even approach your high school students' holy land?"

Mrs. Yuihama pouted in dissatisfaction, glaring at her daughter with her hands on her hips like an angry child.

With her gentle and mature young face, she could not be called cute, but she had a childlike and playful look.

Wiping her damp hair, Yui Yuigahama muttered under her breath, "I didn't say that, and I'm almost forty..."

"There are still several years left, okay?!"

Veins bulged on her forehead, and a menacing smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. Mrs. Yuihama commanded without room for argument, "I don't care, I'm going to your school's cultural festival! I want to see what kind of movie your club has made! I want to know where you and little Yu usually get all lovey-dovey!"

The tone was more like a child throwing a tantrum than an order, even more immature than a high school girl's daughter.

Having witnessed her mother's attempts to act childish so many times, Yui Yuigahama sighed wearily, "Mom, you're so immature..."

“Please say it’s because you’re still a child at heart.” After saying this with a smug look, Mrs. Yuihama imitated her, sighing sadly, and deliberately sighing loudly, “I really don’t know who it is, who locks herself in her room when she has relationship problems and won’t come out, so that her mother has to take care of her, comfort her, be her trash can and confidante…”

"Okay, okay! I didn't say you couldn't go!" Before she could go any further, Yui Yuigahama quickly stopped her, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Besides, you know how to get to the school, you can go whenever you want, so why did you specifically ask me?"

Mrs. Yuihama raised two fingers and explained casually, "First, I respect my daughter's wishes. Second, a married woman mixed in with vibrant teenagers can easily suffer a mental blow... I need someone to go shopping with me."

"This is hardly respecting my wishes..." Yui Yuigahama put down the towel and rolled her eyes at her mother. "But I still have club activities and class performances to help out, so I can't accompany you all the time. You'll have to shop by yourself."

Mrs. Yuihama's eyes lit up: "Then can I ask Yu-chan to come with me?"

"Don't even think about it!"

Like a puppy trying to protect a bone, Yui Yuigahama jumped up from the sofa and bared her teeth at her.

“He’s my future son-in-law. Wouldn’t it be better for you to build a good relationship now…” Seeing her daughter start to squint, as if she was about to pounce on her and rub her face with the wet towel she had used to dry her hair, Mrs. Yuihama quickly waved her hand and stepped back.

"Okay, okay, I won't talk to him first. Even if I do, it'll be under your watchful eye. Honestly, having a boyfriend means you don't need your mother anymore. I never thought Yui could be such a heartless person."

"I never said I didn't want you. It's your fault for constantly teasing your daughter; no wonder I'm angry!"

Yui Yuigahama snorted and plopped back down on the sofa, giving a few disgruntled remarks: "Let's make this clear beforehand, you can't do anything that would embarrass me, okay? My friend and Yu's sister will be there too, so please continue to be a gentle and virtuous wife and don't give yourself away."

"What clue? She's always been so gentle and virtuous, so much better than you, you sentimental little brat!"

In retaliation, she went up to her daughter and ruffled her hair. Before her daughter could scream and jump up in a fit of rage, Mrs. Yuihama turned around lightly and hummed a tune as she walked into the kitchen.

"Is it finally time for a formal 'mother-son conversation'... Oh dear, I hope the son-in-law will be more considerate than the daughter."

"mom!"

"I'm not saying anything more, I'm not saying anything more~"