From betrotheds to lovers

Chapter 4

It was dinner time and Sakurako was having dinner with her family, the three were having small talks as they ate the food, and eventually, Hansuke remembered about his talk with Kazumi earlier today

"Ah! That's right, Sacchan. Your marriage interview with Ichiro-kun will be on March 29th, okay"

"Mm?"

Sakurako had food in her mouth when she heard her father say that, so she finished eating the food inside her mouth before she spoke

"Sure... Huh. Doesn't that put the interview just a few days before my birthday?"

"Yeah, it does. Do you have anything in mind that you want for your birthday, Sacchan?"

"Hmmm... Not really, but if I think of something I'll tell you, dad"

"Okay"

With the two finishing their small talk, it was now Emma's turn to talk with her daughter

"Say Sacchan, you have been going to that cafe that Ichiro-kun works at, right?"

"Yes"

"Then can you tell us what do you think of him as of right now?"

"Hmmm... He's a gentle person, I think"

"... You think?"

"Yeah, lately when he sees me entering the store, he already starts preparing the coffee the way I like it, he usually doesn't ask me anything and when he does, he just asks how my day was... ... ... Yeah, that's all I know about him"

" "..." " < <Isn't he just doing all that because it became routine to him?> >

Sakurako's parents guessed right, as making the coffee for her and having simple small talks with Sakurako had become routine for him

"Ah! And he is also the one who starts the conversations"

" "..." " < <Isn't that because you're an introvert?> >

Sakurako was bad at starting talks, she could somewhat keep up in an ongoing conversation, but she wasn't particularly talkative either. And Ichiro didn't have any problems talking to her, because he had a cousin who was also bad at conversations

"*Nodding* Yeah, I think Ichiro is a good person, especially because his coffee is too good to be made by someone bad"

" "So it was still about the coffee in the end!" "

Her parents couldn't help but say that, they already knew how much she loved coffee, but her last comment about Ichiro that involved coffee had caught them off guard

Meanwhile in the Hirano residence

Ichiro was also having dinner with his family as well

"So... How's the daughter of the Koganes like, son?"

"How she is like?... She kinda reminds me of Takkun, especially when they are both bad at starting talks"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, though different from him, she really likes coffee"

When Ichiro said that his mother, Niko, followed up right after

"Oh yeah, she does. But she appears to especially like your coffee, in fact, she only comes to the cafe on the days that you're helping me there"

"Oh... Well, she once said that my coffee was delicious when I asked her that some time ago"

"Muuuu... You're boring, where's the embarrassed reaction? Or acting shy around her?"

"Yes, yes, I'm boring. Anyways, how was your day at the cafe today, mom"

Ichiro had club activities in the afternoon, so he didn't help at the cafe today

"It was normal"

"So it was mostly empty, I see"

"Do you really need to put it that way!?"

"Yes, how about you dad? How was work?"

"You know the usual"

"So it was boring, I see"

"I know it was boring, but did you really need to say it out loud!?"

"Yes"

Ichiro always went with the flow in conversations and then used the flow to jab at people at the right moment

Many days later

It was the day of the marriage interview, Ichiro and his parents were sitting in a straight seize position, with Kazumi, Ichiro's father, clearly looking nervous while trembling, while Niko, Ichiro's mother, was doing her best to keep a poker face as she also began to feel nervous when she saw the pressure given by the Kogane family in person, this leaving only Ichiro as the calm one in his family

Meanwhile, Sakurako was also looking calm with her usual expressionless face, but her father, Hansuke, had a very stern face as he wanted to make sure that this time his daughter's fiancé candidate wouldn't be like the last one, and that face of his gave a lot of intimidation power to him. While Emma, Sakurako's mother, was smiling, yet her smile also felt pretty pressuring as well

The two families were sitting in silence while facing each other with a table in-between them, the silence stayed for some time before Hansuke opened his mouth to talk

"Ahem... As the one who proposed this interview, I believe I should be the one who should start our introductions. I am Kogane Hansuke, I'm honored to have the Kirano family with us here today, and I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you all with this interview"

Hansuke lowered his head in a respectful manner, seeing that made Kazumi panic

"P-p-please~Raise your head! Y-y-y-you, don't have to a-apologize at all! W-we're the one w-who s-s-s-should be h-honored t-to be here, Kogane-san!"

"*Small laugh* Thank you for your words, but for now let us continue our introductions"

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, I am Kogane Emma, Hansuke's wife, and Sakurako's mother"

Emma then also respectfully lowered her head before raising it shortly after, and the last one remaining was Sakurako

"Kogane Sakurako, nice to meet you all"

Sakurako made a very brief introduction with a short bow

T-then I-I supposed i-it's our turn... A-AHEM! *Deeply breaths in* Haaa... I-I am Hirano Kazumi, I-It is our pleasure t-to have the c-chance to m-meet the K-Kogane family!"

Kazumi stuttered with his words as he lowered his head, practically doing a dogeza, to everyone in the Kogane family

"I-I am Hirano Niko! K-Kazumi's wife, a-and I run an s-small cafe in m-my neighborhood!"

Niko also stuttered in her words as she bowed down, and now only Ichiro was left to introduce himself

"..."

Ichiro stayed quiet with a smile on his face for a few moments, only to mess up a little with his parents, then he began his introduction

"The name is Hirano Ichiro-desu. It's nice to meet you two, Hansuke-san, Emma-san. Do you all want me to make some tea for everyone? Ah! I'm also going to enter my second year of high school, and I'll be turning 17 this year..."

Ichiro then stopped for a moment to think as he also made a thinking expression and pose, then went back to introducing himself

"I think this should be all for now. Again, it's nice to meet you two, and good to see you again, Kogane-san. And I'll be making some tea if you all don't mind if I do"

Ichiro's parents looked at him with surprised and shocked faces as he introduced himself in a very casual manner to the Kogane family. While Sakurako's parents were also making surprised faces, but they quickly recovered as they both began to chuckle at Ichiro's casual and calm introduction in contrast to his parent's nervous introductions