Chapter 53: Matsushita Sumire Is A Spartan Mother (1)
Hey folks, I'm Tsubasa Kurogane, and here I am outside my girlfriend's house, tossing pebbles at her window. You might be wondering why I'm doing something like this. Well, let's rewind about an hour before this all went down, shall we?
***
It was right after the three of us—Chinatsu, Natsumi, and I—came down from the rooftop. After making that pact with Ichinose, she gave us a "Looking forward to working with all of you" and went down by herself. We followed a minute later. Once outside the school, we spotted a black car parked in front of the gate, with a female bodyguard in a slick black suit standing by, clearly waiting for someone. I immediately knew who that someone was.
"Looks like... our date had to be postponed, Tsubasa-kun," Natsumi remarked.
Chinatsu and I locked eyes. Even if we begged the person in that car to cut us some slack with Natsumi tonight, it wasn't likely they'd be up for it. She was strict, and, more importantly, she had this whole anti-men vibe going on. I wasn't sure if her dislike for me was just a byproduct of her general man-hating vibes, but from our first meeting, it was clear she had some serious negative feelings.
"Hey, we can still give it a shot," I optimistically suggested. "I'll plead with her just this once. I'm already gearing up for a day of heavy begging; what's one more plea?"
"Don't bother, Tsubasa. You'll just make yourself look bad in her eyes. Remember, the last thing she's into is people who shrink themselves."
"Ugh, right," I sighed, feeling a bit defeated.
Even if I pulled out all the stops and did the whole dramatic pleading thing, she'd probably just give me the side-eye. I was pretty sure she wouldn't give me the time of day, let alone a second look. After all, I had a good grasp of what made her tick.
"Don't stress, Tsubasa-kun. I mean, we can still do our date on Friday, right?"
"But that's the day I'm supposed to take both of you out, isn't it?"
"Aren't you gonna be bummed that you won't get some one-on-one time with Tsubasa, Natsumi?" Chinatsu chimed in.
"It's not like I don't care, but... It's just that I can't..."
"But maybe if we talk to her together..."
"You can't, Tsubasa. She won't take you seriously, no matter what you say," Chinatsu cut in.
So, what was I left to do in that moment? Well, not much besides watching Natsumi being whisked away from me. What else could I do but witness Natsumi being pulled away, right? Even yours truly, the so-called boyfriend, was about as useful as a screen door on a submarine when it came to challenging the power within that ominous black car.
"I'm sorry, Tsubasa-kun," Natsumi mumbled as she started walking away from us. I tried to catch up, but Chinatsu held me back, clutching my wrist. She shot me a firm shake of the head, a silent plea to stand down. So, there I stood, helplessly observing Natsumi making her way to the car. The stone-faced bodyguard opened the door for her, and in she went. Following suit, the bodyguard hopped into the car, and with a roar, the engine came to life, propelling the vehicle into motion.
With a hefty sigh, I watched the black car vanish around the corner, carrying Natsumi away. Chinatsu's grip on my wrist lightened, and we both just stood there in silence, soaking in the unexpected twist.
"Well, this sucks," I grumbled, more to myself than anyone else. "Looks like we'll have to take some scenic detours for our date tonight."
I couldn't ignore the sadness and regret on Natsumi's face. I couldn't just brush it off with a casual, "Oh, you're not free today, huh? No biggie. We'll reschedule for next time." Not after seeing her look that down.
"What's the plan, Tsubasa? I can already tell you've got something cooking. Spill the beans."
"Of course I do." I wasn't about to let this night go down the drain. Not on my watch. Sure, that person was a force to be reckoned with, but the power of love trumps all. "Natsumi and I are having our date tonight. And not even Sumire-san can stop us."
***
[Matsushita Natsumi's POV]
I peered out of the car's dark tinted window from the passenger's seat, taking in the ever-changing scenery. Reina-san, as usual, was at the wheel. Next to me sat Okaa-sama, also gazing out of her own dark tinted window. It had been three months since I last rode in this car with her. She was always swamped with work, leaving little time for me. I had no clue what had prompted her sudden appearance at my school just to pick me up.
"That boy... that was Mika's son, right?"
Mika-san was Tsubasa-kun's birth mother and had worked for my mom. She had passed away, and the details remained a mystery to me.
"Yeah. What about it?" I replied. I didn't mean to come off as confrontational, but my voice unintentionally carried a hint of frustration, even to my own ears. Well, I was irritated, especially since she messed up my date with Tsubasa-kun.
Luckily, Okaa-sama didn't react much. She didn't even spare a glance my way. "He's certainly grown into a fine young man. You're still friends with him, right?"
"Yeah," I replied, avoiding eye contact. If she wanted to have a conversation without locking eyes, then fine, her call.
"I see." That's when she turned her head. I kept my gaze fixed outside. "From now on, I forbid you from ever meeting him again."
"WHAT?!" I snapped my head towards her at the words. "Why?!"
"Because I said so," she responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I don't want to. You've already controlled my life, planned my future without even consulting me, and now you're picking my friends for me?! Sorry, Okaa-sama, but this is going too far."