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Chapter 171 Part 1

Engagement Meeting (2) ~Invisible Power~

At the rectangular table, Tomoka, who served as the host, sat at the very back. It was the so-called chairperson’s seat.

On the seat of honor sat the Hirose family in the order of Martina, Yuu, and Elena from the back of the table.

On the opposite side sat Hikaru, Sayaka, Riko, Eimi, followed by Mako and Asami.

As if on cue, the waiter brought in the food.

Inside a black rectangular box container, divided into eight compartments, meat dishes, sashimi platters, grilled fish, salad, vinegared dishes, simmered dishes and melon more were beautifully arranged.

In addition to that, there were also small baskets of tempura, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), and even crab.

According to the menu, sushi and soba were also to come after this.

Frankly, it was so much that even Yuu wasn’t sure if he would be able to finish it.

In particular, for Sayaka, who had lost her appetite due to morning sickness, simply looking at it must be painful.

「Yuu-kun, please. I need you to help me.」

「Ah, sure. But only within possible limit, okay?」

As if pleading to him, Sayaka had a desperate look on her face, so he couldn’t help but nod his head.

Sayaka was a girl from a rich family, but it seemed they didn’t live a particularly luxurious life, and she seemed to think it was a waste to not finish food that was served outside.

Looking at the food that was laid out, everyone let out words of admiration, and once they calmed down, Tomoka spoke up.

「Well then, the food is here, so let’s enjoy it first, shall we? As for the toast… I’d leave it to you, Martina-san.」

「Yes.」

It seemed she had been told about it beforehand, so Martina didn’t panic.

Even though it was a toast, no one here was drinking alcohol, and everyone’s glasses were filled with soft drinks.

Sayaka, who had just celebrated her 18th birthday, of course didn’t drink because she was pregnant, while Tomoka, Asami, and Martina because they had driven there. It seemed the other adults also went along with that.

Incidentally, no one in this room smoked.

Perhaps because it was a female-centered society, compared to the 1990s era of the world Yuu lived in prior to his rebirth, it seemed like people who enjoyed alcohol and tobacco were few in number.

「Now then, since I have been nominated, I will do honors and make a simple toast. Well, I heard that, with their meeting at the Sairyou Academy Student Council serving as the trigger, Yuu has been in relationships with three girls, and on top of that, he even had a child with them. As his mother, it came as nothing but a surprise. We live in such a world, so as a mother of a boy, I was endlessly worried, but it seems children grow up faster than their parents expected. I was certainly perplexed when I first heard that Yuu was dating Sayaka-san, Riko-san, and Eimi-san. But when I heard that he was seriously considering marrying the three of them, I thought it would be best for me as his mother to watch over him with warm eyes. Thus, today, on the occasion of their engagement, I would like to ask the families of Komatsu-san, Hanmura-san, and Ishikawa-san to take good care of Yuu. Now then, to the joy of today’s engagement and to our long-lasting relationship from now on… Cheers!」

Everyone cheered at the same time and raised their respective glass.

As Yuu sipped the oolong tea that had been poured into his glass, his heart was filled with emotion at Martina’s words earlier.

As you’d expect from someone serving as a manager at a newspaper company, her manner of speech was impeccable.

Looking back, Martina was somewhat overprotective until Yuu was in middle school, but it seemed she changed a little after he entered high school.

This, too, might be because the reborn Yuu had started to become conscious of her as a woman, and, with them staying over at a hot spring serving as the trigger, they ended up becoming one in the body.

「So tasty!」

「It certainly is.」

「Is there no change to you in terms of appetite, Amy?」

「Yup! It’s perfect.」

「It’s important to get nutrition for the baby, but if you eat too much, your weight won’t go back after giving birth, you know?」

「Eeh…」

「It’s okay. You’re still young, after all. I’m sure it’ll go back immediately.」

「Yuu-kun, I’ll give you mine, too.」

「Wait. I’m already helping Sayaka, after all. Give it to big sis.」

「Eeh, but why? Such a feast, I won’t be able to even finish my own portion.」

「I mean, you don’t put on weight no matter how much you eat, after all.」

「Come to think of it, Elena-senpai is still as slim and beautiful as ever! Do you have a boyfriend…?」

「No. I can’t help but compare them to Yuu, so…」

「「「Ah~」」」

As they enjoyed the meal, they were having a lively conversation.

Of the men present, Hikaru was quiet, and he mainly talked to Tomoka and Martina.

Apart from those three, the conversation revolved around Yuu, with Elena and the two mothers occasionally joining in.

The one who was particularly excited was Eimi.

Riko was as calm as ever.

As expected, Sayaka didn’t talk much.

Although her morning sickness had eased a little since August, she said she was unable to eat oily foods and was mainly eating lighter foods.

As such, Yuu had exchanged his salads and vinegared dishes for her tempura and meat.

After about 20 minutes of enjoying the food and chatting, Tomoka spoke again.

「We can do it over the meal, so allow me to say a few things about this engagement.」

Suddenly, everyone quieted down and listened carefully to Tomoka’s clear voice, which was by no means loud.

That said, to avoid any complications at the meeting, the four families had already laid the groundwork.

As expected, on such a matter, there was no room for error.

First, the wedding was planned to take place on an auspicious day at the end of March or the beginning of April, when Sayaka and Riko, who were currently in their third year, graduated from high school.

By then, they should have given birth to the babies. With there being not only the brides and groom, but also the newborn babies, it would surely be very lively.

Also, the two of them wanted to go to college, and Yuu and Eimi would still be enrolled at Sairyou Academy.

Which meant, the brides and groom would all be students when they got married.

Second, when the second semester started, they would move to a 2LDK apartment in the same apartment building where Sayaka currently lived, and the three of them would live together. This was also out of consideration for Riko, who was commuting a long distance to school.

Eimi lived in Saiou City, but in an area near the old Higashimatsusaka city, and she commuted to school by bicycle, which would probably be dangerous once her belly started to get bigger.

In that case, they judged that it would be reassuring for the three pregnant women to live together.

Incidentally, in the Ishikawa family, Asami often had to stay overnight for work, and in her younger days, Eimi often stayed at her grandparents’ house, which was also in Saiou city; so he heard.

After entering high school, she started working part-time as a waiter at a nearby diner, with meals included, but she would probably have to quit that soon.

Third, Yuu would live with the Hirose family until he graduated from high school.

This was one thing Martina would never compromise on.

Where and with whom he would live after graduating from high school would depend on the situation at the time.

After all, no one seemed to think that the number of his wives would stop at 3.

For the time being, when the second semester started, Yuu would stay at the apartment where Sayaka and the others lived after school on Mondays and Fridays, and go home as usual on other days.

It seemed Sayaka and the others wanted him to stay over on Saturdays, which was the weekend, but Martina, who wanted to spend Sundays with Yuu, didn’t allow it.

At the moment, that was pretty much it.

Rather than a discussion, this talk was more of a confirmation, and with no objections raised by anyone there, it proceeded smoothly.

Just to be on the safe side, it was decided that the engagement ceremony was to be done in writing, and a copy would be given to each family when they left.

As for Sayaka’s original fiance, his mother had apparently been quite stubborn about it, but the person in question readily gave his consent and the engagement was broken off without any problems.

With his engagement broken off, he suddenly became more talkative and excitedly told Tomoka that his dream was to go to a particularly renowned science university in Japan and conduct research on genetics.

It seemed that when this science-minded boy, a rarity in this world, clearly stated that he had no intention of falling in love or getting married anytime soon, it left his mother in a fix, but this matter was no longer relevant to them.

After Tomoka had finished saying everything she had to say, the rest was a free chat.

They moved their seats and gathered into two groups, parents group and children group.

「If things go on like this, we’ll be grandmothers by the new year, won’t we~? To think that Amy would get engaged and have a baby before she even came of age. Being full of energy was her good point, but she was always a total mess in front of boys, after all.」

「The same is true for my child. After all, she was very dedicated to her studies, but I thought she was a complete failure when it came to romance. I thought she’d stay single for the rest of her life, just like me.」

「Mama…」

「Mom…」

It seemed that both of their mothers never thought that Riko or Eimi would be able to find a boyfriend, let alone a marriage partner, while they were still students.

However, the two mothers simultaneously looked at Yuu and smiled.

「But it’s a good thing that she went to Sairyou and met Yuu-kun!」

「It truly is. I was shocked when I heard that she was getting into a relationship with a boy, and when I heard she was pregnant, I found it unbelievable. And when I saw the boy today, I was simply surprised.」

Sayaka’s mother, Tomoka, and Riko’s mother, Mako, were from the same hometown and their daughters were best friends, so it seemed they had been friends since a long time ago.

However, not only was the place they lived in far away, Eimi’s mother, Asami, had only been acquainted with them since her daughter joined Sairyou Academy’s student council, so they had only met once.

However, today, as fellow mothers whose daughters had become Yuu’s fiancées, they seemed to be having a lively conversation.

「From my perspective, I have nothing but gratitude for the fact that I’m able to work with not only Sayaka, but also Riko and Eimi as fellow members of the student council. Moreover, to be able to date three such wonderful seniors at the same time, you could say it’s the height of luck for a man. That’s why I’m really glad I got to meet their mothers as well today.」

「「Oh my!」」

「Yuu-kun…」

「Yuu-kun!」

As far as Yuu was concerned, it wasn’t really flattery or anything of the sort, it was simply his true feelings.

However, there were few boys who clearly showed their affection not only to his partners but also to their mothers.

When all was said and done, all three mothers there were happy from the bottom of their hearts that their daughters were able to tie the knot with the boy they loved, and they were relieved to learn that the person in question, Yuu, was a level-headed person despite being younger than them.

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