At last, Nanjō Honami's father and grandfather returned from their social gathering.
She immediately rushed to greet them, only to see Butler Suzuki helping her grandfather, Nanjō Hiroshi, into the inner room.
She'd missed her chance to speak to her grandfather right away—to get any information firsthand. And judging by her grandfather's condition, even if she had caught him, it wouldn't have been more than a polite greeting.
—I'll ask Grandpa Suzuki about it later.
With that thought, Honami was about to head off when she suddenly remembered she should greet her father too.
Turning, she said politely, "Welcome back, Father. You must be tired."
Nanjō Masahito was clearly quite drunk. Upon seeing Honami, he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, not tired at all! This is my duty as your father, hahaha. Oh, by the way, you won't need to attend kendo club practice this Friday afternoon—come home early."
A jolt ran through Honami.
So it's happening after all...
"Father, I thought this wouldn't happen until after the school trip this fall...?"
Before she could finish, Nanjō Masahito interrupted her, waving a hand.
"These things move quickly when the opportunity is good. Don't worry, you'll still get to participate in the kendo tournament, the cultural festival, and the school trip. The marriage itself will wait until after you graduate university—this is just an engagement for now."
"At most, you'll just have to meet up and have dinner on weekends. Nothing more."
Honami felt a small wave of relief at that.
Her father, a little too flushed from the drinks, continued rambling enthusiastically.
"And let me tell you—this young man is very handsome and a great talker. I bet it won't take long before you're the one asking him out!"
"When that happens, I'll have to be the one reminding you not to bother him too much! Hahaha."
Honami froze, unsure how to respond.
For a brief moment, the thought flashed through her mind to come clean—to tell her father that she already liked someone else. That at the very least, this summer, she wanted to spend time with the one she loved.
That at the very least, this summer, she wanted to leave even the faintest mark in that person's life.
But then she remembered her promise to Grandpa Suzuki—to endure in situations like this, to trust that he could turn the tide.
So Honami forced a smile. "Is that so? Then I'll look forward to it."
"Good, good!" Her father beamed, clapping her on the shoulder. "Your grandfather approves of this young man, you know his judgment. Once you meet young Mr. Kōjun on Friday, those silly high school boys will no longer catch your eye."
"Oh, right! I have a photo of him here—you can put it in your student handbook and show your classmates tomorrow. They'll be screaming with envy!"
Chuckling to himself, Nanjō Masahito fumbled in his pocket, eventually pulling out a photo and handing it to Honami.
She really didn't want to look. She wanted to throw it away immediately, as if even holding it would be an affront to her own heart.
But her father was watching her eagerly, leaving her no choice but to glance down.
And what she saw… was Ken Takakura.
Her drunken father had pulled out the wrong photo.
Honami immediately smiled. "He's so handsome. I'll keep this in my wallet."
She was terrified her father might pull out the actual photo next.
Besides—Ken Takakura was handsome.
And hadn't Chiyoko mentioned that Kazuma liked Ken Takakura too?
Kazuma liked Shiraume-kō fragrance, so Honami wore it. If Kazuma liked Ken Takakura, then keeping a photo of him in her wallet was only natural.
Oddly enough, this small coincidence actually lifted Honami's mood.
Without thinking, she said softly, "Thank you, Father."
"Hahaha, it's nothing, it's what a father should do. Anyway, remember—skip kendo practice on Friday and come home early to prepare."
"Oh, and while the engagement is set, you still need to present yourself well. We want to leave a good impression on the councilman's side."
"You'll definitely need to play piano, and since you learned that demonstration sword form at Akutagawa dojo, show that too on Friday. I think we still have a ceremonial blade for it."
Honami nodded mechanically.
Her thoughts drifted instinctively to tomorrow—imagining showing that Ken Takakura photo to Kazuma.
But the next moment, she caught herself.
I'm avoiding the problem again.
Snapping back to focus, she looked straight at her father and answered firmly.
"I understand, Father. You can count on me."
Honami would no longer run away. Whether it meant temporary patience or an eventual explosive showdown, she would no longer bury her head in the sand.
She was not an ostrich.
She was a seabird—unafraid of any storm.
No—no, that wasn't quite it.
At that moment, Honami realized that deep down… part of her welcomed the coming engagement charade.
She felt her heart beating stronger than ever.
She felt truly, vividly alive.
The anxiety that had gripped her was gone.
So what if I have to endure for now? I'll show them just how much I can endure! I know full well—sometimes small patience brings great gains!
And with that, Honami unleashed an astonishing performance, smiling sweetly at her father.
"I can't wait for Friday! I'm really looking forward to it."
Just as she finished speaking, she noticed Grandpa Suzuki hurrying back after settling her grandfather.
Clearly, he'd seen her little act—he gave her a warm smile and subtly flashed her a thumbs-up.
It'll be fine.
Honami smiled back at Grandpa Suzuki, reassuring herself as well.
Nanjō Masahito gave a loud hiccup and clapped her on the shoulder again.
"All right, I'm going to—ugh!"
Before he could finish, he clamped a hand over his mouth and bolted.
Looked like he'd be making an urgent trip to the bathroom.
Taking advantage of the moment, Grandpa Suzuki quietly moved closer and whispered to Honami.
"Well done. Just keep up the act until Kiryu-kun gets into Todai. Once he does, I'll persuade your grandfather myself."
"I'm confident—he'll definitely prefer Kiryu-kun."
Honami nodded. But her gaze wandered to the garden beyond the engawa.
To the hydrangeas blooming there.
"Grandpa Suzuki... just now, I realized something."
"I think… deep inside, I'm looking forward to this engagement play. Some part of me believes it's an essential step in my growth. Some part of me is eager to do something big—something daring."
"Have you ever felt that way, Grandpa? The urge to just throw caution to the wind, pull off something incredible, and walk away without a care?"
Grandpa Suzuki turned to gaze at the garden as well.
"I have," he answered gravely. "And I did. Together with your grandfather. That's how the Nanjō family rose to where it is today."
"You really are Hiroshi's granddaughter. They call it… skipping a generation, I suppose."
"But, young miss—don't give in to your impulses just yet. Time is on our side. We can plan this carefully. As the saying goes—"
Honami finished the phrase softly.
"Small patience brings great gains. I know. I understand."
(End of Chapter)