“…I wonder if Arisa will accept my confession…”
Yuzuru suddenly muttered something uncharacteristically weak.
Soichiro and Hijiri responded with half-hearted encouragement.
“From the way she looks at you, Yukishiro-san clearly likes you.”
“From my perspective, she’s completely head over heels.”
“Yeah… I mean, I know that, but…”
Twisting his aglio e olio around his fork, Yuzuru let out a sigh.
“But that means she’d be properly engaged to me… and eventually, we’d get married, right?”
In other words, she’d be marrying into the Takasegawa family.
And that family was anything but ordinary.
“…Wouldn’t that seem like a hassle?”
“Well, it does sound like a lot of pressure…”
“Yeah, but there’s money, isn’t there? She’d be thrilled.”
Soichiro acknowledged Yuzuru’s concern.
Hijiri dismissed it.
From Arisa’s perspective, it would be a classic “marrying up” situation—hard to refuse.
“More importantly… is marriage a given? You could just date without jumping straight to that.”
To that, Yuzuru answered firmly—
“I want to marry Arisa… no, I will.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“What are you even worried about?”
“…I’m not really worried about anything.”
No matter what, Yuzuru intended to marry Arisa.
If she ever said, “I’d rather not take the Takasegawa name…” he’d simply persuade her until she agreed.
So no, he wasn’t troubled.
Just… uneasy.
“If you want to marry her that badly… worst case, you could just leave your family like Soichiro.”
“…Mm.”
Yuzuru hesitated.
Right now, between inheriting the Takasegawa family and marrying Arisa—
He would choose Arisa.
But—
“I was born and raised to be the heir.”
It wasn’t about wanting the inheritance.
But he had been raised for that purpose.
It was his role. His life.
He couldn’t simply walk away from it.
That’s why he wanted to experience as much freedom as possible while he still could—during high school and university.
That was also why he hadn’t wanted to be engaged this early.
Because if he met someone he loved, it would complicate things.
“Though, to be fair… it’s because I’m the heir that I can marry Arisa.”
“Oh right—you two are technically ‘engaged’ already.”
“The outer and inner defences are already secured.”
All that remained was to capture the main keep.
All Arisa had to do was say yes.
“Honestly, I’m glad I was born the eldest son of the Takasegawa family… otherwise, Arisa would’ve been completely out of reach.”
Though—
Even if he were just a normal high school boy,
He’d still pursue her relentlessly.
And if she already had a fiancé, he’d steal her away.
“That girl… Arisa is just… cute.”
“You’ve said that.”
“If she praises me, I’d do anything.”
“Didn’t you climb a tree and fall because of that once?”
“Shut up. I’ll kill you.”
Yuzuru snapped, dredging up an embarrassing memory.
Soichiro and Hijiri burst out laughing.
“Well, you’ll be fine. You’re decent-looking, not a complete scumbag like someone, and you’ve got money.”
“From a girl’s perspective, you’re a solid catch.”
Hijiri nodded.
Soichiro agreed.
“I’m curious who that ‘someone’ is supposed to be… but Yuzuru’s a good man. If I were a woman, I’d marry him.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“Hey! Rude, don’t you think!?”
It was all in jest, of course.
“By the way… are you going to inherit your family business?”
Soichiro turned to Hijiri.
Meaning—would he take over the Ryozenji family?
“…Well, I don’t dislike the idea of inheriting it.”
“But?”
“I’m backing my cousin.”
Hijiri, technically, was considered the heir.
But it wasn’t a fixed decision.
There were other candidates.
“I see. Well… from the Takasegawa side, I’ll just say—please don’t let it turn into a split.”
“Good to hear. We don’t want internal conflict either.”
Families usually fell apart due to internal disputes.
Succession battles, branch conflicts—
Even clashes between generations.
(…In that sense, my father can’t afford to upset me.)
For the current head of the Takasegawa family, Takasegawa Kazuya—
His greatest threat wasn’t rival families or political enemies.
It was his own son.
Only Yuzuru had the potential to challenge his position.
And likewise, Yuzuru couldn’t openly oppose his father either.
(As for Arisa… I’m not giving her up. Not even a little.)
There were only two people in the world who could interfere with their relationship—
His father, Kazuya, and his grandfather, Sougen.
Still—
Yuzuru had no intention of rebelling.
And Kazuya trusted his son to a certain extent.
Strip away the titles of head and heir—
And they were simply a close father and son.
“If your cousin takes over, what will you do?”
“No idea. Probably get a job in an affiliated company, like most people.”
“That’s vague.”
Compared to Yuzuru and Soichiro, whose futures were decided—
Hijiri’s seemed uncertain.
“Honestly… that’s normal.”
Hijiri bit into a chicken wing.
Then, matter-of-factly, he lectured his two out-of-touch friends.
“Most people don’t decide their career, marriage partner, and entire future at fifteen or sixteen.”
“…Fair point.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
Yuzuru and Soichiro accepted it.
At fifteen, most people didn’t have their future set.
At best, they had vague dreams.
Compared to that, the two of them were moving far too fast.
“Well, unlike your families, ours doesn’t have that long of a history. It doesn’t have to be me. …Though it would be the smoothest option.”
Then, suddenly, Hijiri changed the subject.
“Anyway—Monday’s Valentine’s Day.”
“Ah, right.”
“Valentine’s, huh…”
Up until last year, the only people who gave Yuzuru chocolate were—
His mother, his younger sister, and Ayaka from middle school.
All obligatory, of course.
This year, his mother and sister probably wouldn’t.
Ayaka likely would, as usual.
Chiharu might give him one too.
Amaka… hard to say, but she might at least give him store-bought chocolate.
But more importantly—
(What kind of chocolate will Arisa give me…?)
Just a little—
Yuzuru found himself looking forward to chocolate from his talented fiancée.
