Although Meari repeatedly claimed that this invitation to Ayanokoji was purely out of "gratitude" for his help and had no other intentions, Ayanokoji, having learned of Meari's little scheme from Hanatemari, could no longer think that way.
This was not a simple visit, but a "meeting the parents."
After entering the house from the entryway, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka saw Saotome Meari's parents.
Meari's father was a middle-aged man, and although it was Saturday, he was still wearing a neat suit, very formal, as if he were going to meet a client.
Meari's mother was wearing an apron, and seemed to have put on exquisite makeup especially for today's meeting, looking much younger than her actual age.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie, I am Meari's friend, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and these are the gifts I brought for you."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka smiled as he greeted the two elders and handed over the gifts he was holding.
"I didn't expect Auntie to be so young, you look just like Meari's sister." Ayanokoji didn't forget to flatter her.
Meari's mother beamed with delight.
She knew that even with makeup, she still looked a generation older than Meari, but what woman would dislike being praised for her youth?
Especially women who have entered middle age.
"Please come in quickly, since you're here, why bring gifts?"
Although they said this, Meari's parents still smilingly accepted the gifts.
The gifts Ayanokoji brought were not specially wrapped, so the two of them opened the bags in front of Ayanokoji.
For Meari's father, he brought a branded mechanical watch, and for her mother, a silver-white bracelet.
While not particularly valuable, each item cost over 100,000 yen, which isn't something ordinary people would readily buy.
They both took out the gifts, their faces showing surprise, seemingly quite pleased with the gifts Ayanokoji brought.
Ayari's father, being knowledgeable, knew the price of the watch and couldn't help but say, "Isn't this gift a bit too expensive?"
"Meari helped me a lot usually, and since this is my first time meeting Ayari's parents, I couldn't bring anything too cheap," Ayanokoji said with a smile.
Ayari's parents exchanged glances, not expecting Ayanokoji to be so frank, and their impression of him immediately improved.
"Please sit, dinner will be ready soon!"
They warmly welcomed Ayanokoji, seating him on the sofa and Meari beside him. One of them returned to the bedroom to put away the gifts, while the other brought out the remaining dishes from the kitchen.
She had originally been lying on the sofa, but now, for the sake of her image, she dared not be so casual, sitting up straight even though it was her own home.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, however, was quite relaxed. To an outsider, it might seem that Ayanokoji was the host and Meari the guest.
Meari was happy that her parents accepted Ayanokoji, but she felt a little bad.
She leaned in close to Ayanokoji's ear and whispered, "I invited you to my house, but I ended up making you spend so much... I'll pay you back."
"No need, I'm a guest, so of course I should bring a gift," Ayanokoji winked at her, deliberately saying, "After all, this is 'meeting the parents,' isn't it?"
Did Ayanokoji guess her thoughts, knowing that she had conspired with Hanatemari!?
Meari's face instantly flushed. She wanted to ask Ayanokoji, but soon her father came out of the room, and then her mother also came in with the prepared dishes, warmly inviting Ayanokoji to sit at the dining table for dinner.
There was nothing Meari could do but swallow her words and follow Ayanokoji to the dining table.
Meari's home, like most Japanese households, practiced "individual serving," where each person had their own tray and ate their own meal.
This method was convenient and meticulous, allowing everyone to enjoy the same dishes without having to consider others, but the cost was too many dishes to wash.
This time, to entertain Ayanokoji, Ayari's mother specially made many extra dishes, with over a dozen bowls for one person.
This was truly too much trouble. Ayanokoji could adapt to this practice when he was out, but at home, to avoid trouble, he used the Chinese dining style.
Speaking of which, the last time he sat down to eat with "family" was years ago when he was with Shizuka Hiratsuka.
When eating with Shizuka Hiratsuka, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also strongly suggested that she choose a convenient dining style, so she wouldn't have to wash so many dishes every day.
If she were eating with an adult man, Shizuka Hiratsuka certainly wouldn't agree to such a request, but in her eyes, Ayanokoji at the time was just a child, at most a mature child, so she didn't think much of it and indulged Ayanokoji.
At first, she would diligently cook for Ayanokoji, but after Ayanokoji showed off his "self-proclaimed" cooking skills learned online, she became lazier, occasionally asking Ayanokoji to cook for her.
Eventually, she simply handed over the cooking duties to Ayanokoji.
Besides cooking, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, preparing bathwater... all these tasks were later handed over to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and she comfortably enjoyed Ayanokoji's services.
It could be said that during the last period of time with Shizuka Hiratsuka, Ayanokoji basically took care of her.
It was precisely because Ayanokoji Kiyotaka gradually became the one who took care of her in terms of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, which gave Ayanokoji the illusion that she couldn't live without him, and that's why he confessed the night before she left.
Who knew she wouldn't even remember old times... I hate you, you block of wood!
At this moment, Ayanokoji suddenly recalled the vow he made after she left.
"Shizuka Hiratsuka, I curse you to never find a more suitable marriage partner than me before you meet me again. Then, when you confess to me and feel that you can spend the rest of your life with me, I will cruelly reject you and make you regret it for the rest of your life!"
It was precisely because of the blow Ayanokoji suffered then that he frantically "made money" in junior high, determined to become a man she "couldn't afford" before meeting Shizuka Hiratsuka.
It can be said that Shizuka Hiratsuka's rejection made Ayanokoji realize the principle of never putting all his eggs in one basket, leading him to develop a "cast a wide net, catch many fish" personality and embark on the path of a "playboy."
Unfortunately, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka kept trying to find out about Shizuka Hiratsuka afterward, but he could never find her, nor did he know where she went, preventing him from "retaliating" for Shizuka Hiratsuka's rejection back then.
Although with the passage of time, this desire for revenge had gradually faded, a distorted thought still existed deep in Ayanokoji's mind—he must make Shizuka Hiratsuka regret it for the rest of her life and cry as she apologizes to him!
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