“Did that really happen? Why didn't he tell us?” Grandma Kazu looked at Kazuya with an unknowing expression. He was so close to such a beautiful girl, but he didn't even bother telling his grandmother. What a shame!
“Yes, thank you for your help earlier, Minami-san,” Chizuru Suihara said maturely, taking over the conversation. “But, Grandma, we should put our things in our room first.”
“Is that so?” Grandma Yuri gave Grandma Kazu a knowing look.
“By the way, Yuri-chan, our room is a deluxe suite, would you like to come stay with us?”
Kazuya felt like his grandmother was reciting lines from a script.
“Really? It’s not bad for us old ladies to have a girls' party!” Grandma Yuri acted as if she was hearing this for the first time.
…
Kazuya wouldn’t have noticed their collusion if he hadn’t witnessed his grandmother’s performance. He hadn’t realized Grandma Yuri was such a good actress.
She must have been a stunning beauty in her youth. After all, the prettier the woman, the better she is at deceiving people.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Kazuya. The Banana Lounge is a quad, do you want to rent another room?” Grandma Kazu looked at Chizuru as she spoke.
This was the classic matchmaking ploy used by families. Kazuya was quite familiar with it, as he had been subjected to it by his previous family. As a staunch believer in “natural love,” he had been treated this way before.
“No need, Chizuru and I booked a double room. Why don't they just stay together, what do you think, Chizuru?” Grandma Yuri looked at Chizuru with an expectant gaze.
Chizuru looked at Kazuya with some hesitation.
However, Kazuya was indifferent to such matters. This kind of thing was normal for college students, right? He remembered one of his best friends had gone on a trip with a group of girls and they ended up sleeping in the same bed.
Although he hadn't had this kind of experience himself, his two best friends who were close to girls had. As long as nothing happened, it wasn't that abnormal.
However, he was a little envious of their ability to attract girls. He had no idea what it was like to be treated as a close friend by girls.
It seems like he's having a similar experience with a girl now. Would it be the same bed?
“What do you think, Chizuru?” Grandma Yuri looked at her granddaughter expectantly.
“What do I think?” Chizuru looked at the “grandmother alliance” who were enthusiastically matchmaking her with Kazuya, unable to speak a word of refusal. “If it makes Grandma happy, then I’m fine with it.”
Kazuya saw the reluctant acceptance on Chizuru's face and understood her feelings. Although this was the desire imposed on her by her family, as her only relative, she didn't want to refuse her grandmother's request, even if it was a little too much.
“Alright, Grandma. Even if I do know Chizuru...I mean, Ichinose Chizuru, we’re not friends yet.” Kazuya said seriously. “And even if we were friends, it would be weird for two people of the opposite sex to share a room.”
Kazuya looked into the eyes of Chizuru who was uncomfortably crossing her arms: “Can you please stop putting Ichinose-san on the spot?”
What if he shared a room with Ichinose Chizuru? Would it even matter? Reluctance was reluctance, and there would be another unfamiliar stranger in the room. As a weaker woman, Chizuru wouldn’t be able to relax on this trip.
“Is that so?”
Kazuya's objection immediately chilled the warm atmosphere of the “grandmother alliance.”
“Then, Kazu-nee, let’s stay in separate rooms. Even if we can’t sleep together, it’s still nice to play together.” Grandma Yuri said sadly.
“Yuri-chan, really, let’s go out and have fun together next time.” Grandma Kazu sighed.
Both grandmothers were not bad people; they simply wanted to match Kazuya and Chizuru.
“It’s alright, I can just get another room.” Kazuya knew his objection was out of place, but what if he agreed, and what about Chizuru's suppressed opposition driven by family pressure?
Kazuya might enjoy beautiful women, but he didn't like forcing himself on them.
“Grandmas can still share a room.” Kazuya, after all, wasn’t a bad person either. The grandmothers genuinely wanted to match Chizuru with him and also truly wanted to have fun together.
“Mom, lend me some money. I didn’t bring enough cash for the trip.” Kazuya had money on him, but he hadn't expected to need to get another room. This wouldn’t be enough.
“I'll pay you back when I get back to Tokyo.” It seems like in Japan, people become financially independent after they turn 18.
…
Kazuya's dad looked at him with the expression of "My son is finally growing up."
“No need, since I took your room, I'll pay for it.” Grandma Yuri looked at Kazuya with a satisfied expression, for reasons unknown.
“Really, how can we let Yuri-chan pay?” Grandma Kazu patted her chest: “I’ll just have to cut back on my online games. Kazuya’s expenses are on me.”
Chizuru watched as her grandmothers continued to joke, despite their disappointment. She felt a pang of sympathy for them. Why was her grandmother so eager to match her with Kazuya? She knew that her grandmother was afraid of growing old and worried about her failing health.
But…
“Um, no need for that, Kazuya-kun and I can share a room.” Chizuru suddenly replied with a supportive attitude, Kazuya couldn’t detect any reluctance in her expression: “Kazuya… no, Kazuya-kun, it might be a little embarrassing to share a room, but it's okay.”
Chizuru's face was full of a girlish blush, as if a girl who had a crush on Kazuya was suddenly acting intimate and a little shy, a cute expression.
...
“Ichinose…?”
Kazuya looked at Chizuru with a strange expression. Her attitude was definitely abnormal.
Did she suddenly develop feelings for him? Was she acting? But why?
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Grandma Yuri looked at Chizuru with a contented smile, her eyes narrowed in amusement. “By the way, you guys don’t really need to worry about it, Chizuru and I have two separate suites.”
“Just pay attention to things. It’s not a big deal, it’s like being neighbors.”