Chapter 65

"Yugen... "

"It's a bento..."

They looked as if they had seen something unbelievable.

As if the world might end tomorrow.

The ones who wore such expressions were Soichiro and Sei.

"It's fine, isn't it? I brought a bento."

While saying this, Yugen opened the bento box he had received from Ailisa this morning. It was still warm inside because it was an insulated type.

There were two bento boxes.

One contained white rice with pickled plums.

The other was filled with stylish side dishes.

Ailisa, as expected, didn't include any frozen foods.

...Was it because he felt like he had lost again?

He put a piece of fried chicken in his mouth.

The taste was neither too strong nor too light.

Despite the time that had passed since it was made, the coating was still crispy.

When he bit into it, it was softer than he expected, and the flavor of the meat spread in his mouth.

(As expected, it's delicious.)

Yugen decided to tell Ailisa how delicious it was tomorrow morning.

Incidentally, there were three bento boxes, and they were rotated.

"Is it Yuki?"

Soichiro guessed correctly.

Since Yugen lived alone, it was impossible for him to receive a bento from his mother, and it was also unlikely that Yugen would make a bento himself, so it was a natural deduction.

"Yeah."

But it was really delicious.

Ailisa's freshly made dishes were exceptionally delicious, but it seemed she could also make side dishes that remained delicious even when cold.

Not only were they delicious, but they were also colorful and well-balanced in terms of nutrition.

He felt like bowing in gratitude.

"Is it good?"

"Of course."

"...Can we have a taste?"

"Give me a little too."

Soichiro and Sei wanted to try a little.

Yugen was torn between wanting to keep Ailisa's bento to himself and wanting to show off her cooking.

He decided to share a little.

He gave Soichiro a piece of fried chicken and Sei a rolled omelet.

After giving Yugen some side dishes in return, they put Ailisa's side dishes in their mouths.

"It's delicious."

"Better than I thought."

Soichiro and Sei exclaimed in surprise.

Yugen felt proud, even though he hadn't made it himself.

"What... So it's just you. The cafeteria crowd."

Soichiro brought a bento made by his mother.

Until now, Yugen and Sei had eaten at the cafeteria, while Soichiro had brought a bento, but that was until today.

"Still, a love bento in high school?"

"Hey, why don't you just get married?"

Soichiro and Sei said this half-teasingly, half-seriously.

Incidentally, Yugen had already told Sei about the "engagement" with Ailisa's permission.

Ailisa had apparently become friends with Tenka through the study group and Halloween events.

Feeling it was wrong to keep it a secret from friends, he had told Sei and Tenka.

For Yugen, keeping it a secret was also stressful, so he felt relieved.

"I'm paying for the ingredients, though."

"Most people wouldn't make it just for the cost of ingredients."

"If I asked, would Yuki make one for me too?"

"Well, that's unlikely."

Ailisa wasn't a bento shop.

It would take time and effort, and the fact that she made a bento for the cost of ingredients showed that she had a certain level of affection for Yugen.

Whether it was friendship or love, he wasn't sure.

"Seriously, are you not going to date? ...Well, since you're engaged, you could say you're already dating."

"From what I hear, you two seem like a loving couple. Do you plan to get married soon?"

"Ah, you're going to ask that, huh?"

Yugen wasn't unaware.

At first, they had gone on dates to act as "engaged," but recently, they had started to enjoy it.

Ailisa felt the same way.

"...Well, I like Ailisa."

"Of course."

"I've always thought that someone like her, who looks Western, is right up your alley."

"No, it's not just her looks."

As Sei said, Ailisa's appearance, including her excellent figure, was right up Yugen's alley.

Moreover, her personality was good.

She was kind, considerate, and supportive of Yugen.

Ailisa said she had a bad personality... but that was also cute.

And she was a good cook.

Furthermore, as the Halloween incident showed, she had a surprisingly good sense of humor and could make jokes...

Being with her was fun.

"But... if you ask me if I have romantic feelings, I'm not sure."

"Do you like her as a friend?"

"Do you not like her as a romantic interest?"

"No, I do like her as a romantic interest... but liking someone doesn't necessarily mean having strong romantic feelings, right?"

Every man has a girl or two he's interested in.

Even men with wives or girlfriends, while not cheating, might think, "She's nice," about a beautiful and kind woman.

"In short, I find the current relationship comfortable, so I don't particularly want to force it. More importantly..."

Not all couples or lovers in the world have a burning passion to start their relationship.

In fact, many relationships start "just because."

So there's nothing strange about Yugen and Ailisa becoming lovers...

"I think... it's not good for me to fall in love with Ailisa."

Yugen and Ailisa may seem equal, but in reality, they are not.

Yugen could refuse marriage to Ailisa if he wanted to, but Ailisa couldn't refuse.

The "engagement" between Yugen and Ailisa exists because Yugen has no intention of getting married.

In other words... to put it bluntly, Yugen has the power of life and death over Ailisa.

So if Yugen fell in love with Ailisa, meaning if Yugen wanted to get married, Ailisa couldn't refuse.

Yugen explained his thoughts to Soichiro and Sei.

"Well, that's the situation... so for now, I want to maintain this relationship. I don't want to force her to be my girlfriend just because of my feelings."

After saying this, Yugen thought of his father's face.

(Father doesn't choose his means. He probably already knows about Ailisa's timid personality... I have to be careful.)

Kasegawa Kazuya may seem gentle, but he is actually very calm, cold, and ruthless.

Of course, this is only in his professional life; in private, he is a kind and good father to his family, and Yugen respects him as a father...

But he can easily use his son as a tool for a political marriage.

If he can use his son without hesitation, he would certainly do the same to a stranger.

Yugen not only had to protect Ailisa from "Tenchou" but also from "Kasegawa."

In fact, "Kasegawa" was the greater enemy.

Calm, cold, and ruthless.

Unwavering in his methods to achieve his goals.

A cunning clan skilled in intrigue and maneuvering.

This is how "Kasegawa" is perceived by the world, and it is not wrong.

Yugen, as a member of the "Kasegawa" clan, knows the threat of "Kasegawa" the best.

To his father and grandfather, Yugen must seem like a rebellious son, and he inwardly smiled at the thought.

"..."

On the other hand, Soichiro and Sei looked at each other after hearing Yugen's words.

Then they asked Yugen.

"So, what would you do if you fell in love for real and wanted her no matter what?"

"What if Yuki came to you?"

In response, Yugen shrugged.

"Well, we'll see when that happens."

Yugen is wary of his father and grandfather, partly due to his rebellious phase.

Kasegawa men are slow to heat up and slow to cool down.

If you want him to get more passionate, bookmarking, rating (changing the stars below the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★), and supporting him will make him boil over.

Yugen's seriousness level: 50%