“Um… Onii-san. I’m really sorry to interrupt while things are getting… lively, but…”
Hearing the extremely apologetic voice, Yuzuru snapped back to his senses.
Arisa did the same, quickly pulling away from him as if something had burst between them.
Both of them flushed red and lowered their heads.
“Uh… what is it, Ayumi? Do you need something?”
The voice belonged to Yuzuru’s younger sister.
Takasegawa Ayumi.
What made it even more embarrassing was that she didn’t sound teasing at all—her voice and expression were genuinely apologetic.
“Yeah. Actually, there’s something I need to tell Arisa-san.”
“Me? Yes, what is it?”
Arisa deliberately cleared her throat before turning to Ayumi.
Her expression had returned to its usual calm.
…Though her face was still red.
“This is serious, Arisa-san. The trains have stopped running.”
“…Eh?”
According to Ayumi’s explanation, a minor accident had occurred just moments earlier.
Fortunately, no one had died.
However, the trains had been temporarily suspended because of it.
At the moment, there was no estimate for when service would resume.
Even if they did start running again, they would undoubtedly be extremely crowded.
“So, what should we do, Arisa-san? Personally… I don’t want to send you home in a packed midnight train. It could be dangerous.”
Yuzuru’s father, Takasegawa Kazuya, spoke in a calm yet firm tone.
Even if Yuzuru accompanied her as an escort, a packed train late at night carried its own risks.
“Yes… I understand. But if that’s the case, I’m not sure how I should get home…”
“I think the best option would be to drive you.”
Though it’s unfortunate for the driver at this hour, Kazuya added quietly.
Naturally, the Takasegawa family employed a personal chauffeur.
However—
“But wouldn’t the roads be crowded too? It might take a long time,”
Yuzuru’s mother, Takasegawa Ayu, voiced her concern about traffic.
The roads were already congested with people attending the festival.
And now that the trains had stopped, even more cars—taxis and rides from acquaintances—would be on the road.
There was no doubt traffic would worsen.
“Even so, Mum, she can’t walk all the way home, and the train isn’t an option. A car still seems like the most reasonable choice. Right, Arisa?”
Yuzuru asked the person directly involved.
Arisa nodded slightly.
“Yes. If it’s because of an accident, it can’t be helped… I would be troubling you and everyone in the Takasegawa family, but I would appreciate it if you could drive me.”
At that moment, Ayumi grinned mischievously and cut in.
“Hey!? A moment ago you were calling him by his surname. When did you start using his first name? You two sure got close fast. You were hugging too—what were you doing?”
At her teasing words, Yuzuru felt his face heat up.
Arisa seemed to recall her earlier breakdown as well and lowered her head in embarrassment.
“Well, well…”
“My oh my.”
Kazuya smiled wryly, while Ayu looked thoroughly amused.
Yuzuru coughed deliberately.
“That’s not important right now. What matters is how Arisa gets home. If we’re driving, we should leave sooner rather than—”
“I just thought of a brilliant idea. Mind if I share it?”
Ayumi interrupted him.
Everyone’s eyes turned towards her.
“What about staying the night?”
She said it proudly.
Yuzuru frowned.
“…That’s not really—”
“Why not? It’s not like you’ll be sleeping in the same room. And driving late at night can be dangerous too, right? It’s not great for the driver either. Arisa-san must be tired. Wouldn’t it be better for her to stay the night and go home tomorrow when things are calmer?”
Ayumi’s suggestion sounded fairly reasonable.
If Yuzuru and Arisa were the only two in the house, that would be a different story.
But with both parents and Ayumi present, nothing improper could happen.
Besides, Yuzuru and Arisa were supposedly engaged.
Even if something did happen, it wouldn’t be completely unacceptable—
Though of course that didn’t mean it should happen.
Still, sleeping under the same roof was hardly a problem.
“But what about clothes?” Yuzuru said. “Arisa only has her regular clothes and her yukata.”
He didn’t say it directly, but no girl would want to spend the night in the same underwear.
Sleeping in regular clothes wouldn’t be comfortable, and wearing a yukata all night would wrinkle it.
But Arisa didn’t have any sleepwear.
“She can borrow Mum’s pajamas, right? And underwear can be bought at a convenience store. We’ve got towels and futons. For just one night, it should be fine.”
“…That’s true.”
After murmuring that, Yuzuru looked towards Kazuya and Ayu.
Both of them nodded.
“I’m fine with either option,” Kazuya said.
“I’d love for her to stay the night,” Ayu added with a smile. “I want to hear more about Yuzuru from Arisa-chan.”
With their approval given, Yuzuru turned to Arisa.
She looked uncertain.
“Well… you heard them. If you don’t mind, you’re welcome to stay. Don’t worry about being a burden—just choose whatever you prefer. …What do you think?”
“…Alright.”
After thinking for a moment, Arisa nodded.
“Then… I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”
And just like that, Arisa’s overnight stay was decided.
