[CH.49] Summer Beach Recreation (Part 4)
With more people in the car, the atmosphere inside grew lively, and the manager, Nishina, and I engaged in conversation, making the trip to Kuhou's apartment pass quickly.
Upon arriving at Kuhou's apartment, Nishina was taken aback.
"This is..."
Nishina lived in a regular apartment, and the manager in a high-end condominium. However, Kuhou's apartment was in a rather run-down building. Kuhou, also being from Hamayama, didn't receive any rent assistance. If I remembered correctly, she mentioned that she lived here with her family, so this might be her family's place.
"Hanamura-kun, is this your first time seeing Hinata's place?"
"Yes... It's quite surprising, to be honest."
"I've heard about the situation with her father. Hinata-chan currently lives here with her mother."
We parked along the apartment building's roadside and waited for Kuhou to arrive.
However, I couldn't help but be surprised by how far she'd fallen, despite having been the former company president's daughter.
"Good morning."
Kuhou arrived and greeted us. She stood tall and gave a graceful bow. Even in her plain short-sleeved shirt and long skirt, she maintained an air of elegance that didn't diminish her surroundings.
I had seen Kuhou's casual attire when we met at the café earlier, so there wasn't much surprise upon seeing it for the first time, but she was still beautiful. However, I couldn't help but wonder if it was okay for such a beauty to be living in a run-down apartment with poor security.
"Hi there, Hinata-chan! You look adorable today too."
"Good morning, Abe-san."
"Hinata-chan, are you going out today?"
"Yes, I'm going out with some colleagues from work."
They seemed to be residents of the apartment building, and as we walked towards the road, they greeted Kuhou.
"Kuhou-san, who are these people?"
"They are my neighbors. They are all very kind and I enjoy living here. There was an incident where a strange person chased me the other day, but everyone here protected me."
"Hey, youngster."
"Huh!? Are these the residents!?"
"If anyone lays a hand on Hinata-chan, we won't forgive them. Hinata-chan is our princess. Nobody is allowed to touch her."
What arrogance. I see, she's at a level where she's too beautiful for anyone to approach. I understand their feelings, it's like they're knights protecting their princess. The residents were making quite a commotion, so I decided to just play along. Damn it, are they singling me out because I'm a guy? There's no way I'd be a suitable match for Hinata-san.
"Hinata."
The voice of a woman calling Kuhou-san caught my attention, and I turned to see who it was.
There stood a woman with long black hair, radiating an undeniable aura of power. She looked like Kuhou-san's mother.
"Mother, what's going on?"
"Are you accompanying your colleagues from work today? I thought I'd come and say hello."
"Oh, no! Th-that's embarrassing."
Kuhou-san seemed flustered by her mother's sudden appearance. I recalled what Kuhou-san had mentioned before, and it seemed her mother was an impressive person as well.
"Good morning. I'm Mimasaka, the Manager of the company Hinata belongs to."
Impressive as always, our Manager. He promptly stepped out of the car, removed his hat and sunglasses, and greeted Kuhou-san's mother politely.
"Oh my! What a lovely lady you are. I was worried that my daughter might have caused you any trouble."
"Far from causing trouble, she's been doing great. We have high hopes for Hinata's growth, all of us at the company do."
"Even the Manager! Geez!"
"I feel like I'm falling short as a mother... Please take care of my daughter."
"Mother, enough already! Hanamura-san, please start the car, quickly!"
"O-Okay!"
I was surprised by Kuhou-san's unusual push, but given the circumstances, it couldn't be helped. I bowed to her mother and promptly started the car.
"Oh, goodness... this is so embarrassing."
"You have a great mother. My own mother can't bow so politely."
"Mothers will always worry, no matter how old you get. Even when I go back home, it's the same – constant fuss."
"Exactly as the Manager says. You should get her a souvenir or something."
"Oh, Hanamura-san, thank you for picking us up. I'm sorry for my rude words."
"Don't worry about it. Shall we set off again then?"
With all the staff onboard, we headed towards our destination. It was such a sunny day. I hoped it would be a fun day.
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