“Ha…”
“…I’m really sorry.”
“…It’s fine.”
Seriously… I was at a loss for words.
I had just been lying quietly in my private room for the past couple of days.
I planned to write the report after a short vacation, so I was genuinely enjoying my time off.
I had been swamped with work for a long time.
“That was really sudden.”
“I know, right? I didn’t even get a call until now, and suddenly, this comes up.”
“Ha…”
The Commander and I were sitting in a cafe within the district.
Today was special… we were about to meet an unusual guest.
Someone who would be more uncomfortable than the boss, and someone I had never met before.
I was already annoyed because of the Commander, but I didn’t expect to meet this guest just a couple of days later.
Even though I had spent two days in my private room, my anger hadn’t gone away.
“You’re really amazing, you know?”
“I’m sorry.”
“A few days ago, your mom said she wanted to see my girlfriend and called me over?”
“Haha…”
I was genuinely baffled.
The Commander’s mother suddenly saying she wanted to meet my girlfriend and reaching out to me was absurd.
If it were me, I would have hesitated and never contacted anyone so boldly.
“So… when is she coming?”
“In approximately… 5 minutes?”
“Alright. Got it.”
I really didn’t expect it to turn out this way, but I showed up anyway.
After all, I was the one who said to do it.
I couldn’t deny that part of it was my fault.
I had just told the Commander to introduce me casually as his girlfriend… and I definitely didn’t predict she would come so suddenly.
“How should I act?”
“Huh?”
“You called me over, right? If I just sit here quietly, isn’t that going to look weird?”
“Ah…”
Seriously, is he really that clueless?
I genuinely wonder how he manages to think so little in this situation when he’s usually so sharp at work.
“It’s fine if you just behave normally.”
“Ha… What do you mean by that? No matter how you think about it, doesn’t that seem odd? Right?”
He really seems completely clueless.
Unless he’s just become a fool due to all the work he’s been doing.
“We’re being introduced as girlfriends, right? Obviously, your mom must have come to see us together, so isn’t sitting still a bit strange… Ha…”
“……..”
“I’ll handle it. Just follow my lead.”
I wasn’t sure if the clueless Commander would be able to keep up, but since I was still annoyed, I decided to go with it.
Well, he ought to manage something.
*
“Hello~ I heard my son got a girlfriend… Is it true?”
“Of course! Just look at how handsome the Commander is! He must have had a girlfriend long before this.”
It was maddeningly frustrating.
This was nothing like the work I did in the office; it was a completely different social experience.
“Ohohoho! You speak so beautifully~!”
“Thank you. You’re incredibly pretty too, ma’am. I can see where the Commander gets his looks.”
“Oh my! My son has such a wonderful girlfriend and didn’t even tell me?”
The Commander’s mother looked younger than expected… a beautiful woman.
I could easily see whose looks the Commander inherited.
“Haha…”
“You seem to be a bit shy, huh? Please try to be a little cuter.”
“Well, yes. He can be excessively shy for no reason…”
It was a bit annoying.
Even I could see there were many irritating parts about the Commander.
I continued the conversation with a lighter, more familiar tone than usual since she was his mother.
After all, she wasn’t a business associate or the parents of a superior. Right now… she was the boyfriend’s mother.
Of course, we weren’t actually dating, but being overly stiff would be even worse.
Perhaps because of that, I tried to smile more during the conversation.
“That’s part of his cuteness.”
“Oh my…”
Perhaps she was so used to praise from her son.
She even covered her mouth with her hand in joy.
“Did you have any inconveniences coming here?”
“I came in an autonomous car, so what could be inconvenient? It was quite comfortable.”
“I’m glad to hear that. If there was anything inconvenient, we could help out.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Just the fact that my son has a girlfriend is enough for me.”
Is it truly that great for a son to have a girlfriend?
Well, it was definitely a good thing.
I could understand why she was so pleased.
If I were in her shoes, I would probably feel the same way.
“I never thought he would find such a pretty, kind girlfriend… Honestly, I worried he might get tangled up with a bad girl.”
“Well, he does have a silly side and lacks awareness.”
“Exactly! He’s my son, but he really lacks awareness! How can he not see how many girls like him around?”
“Haha…”
“……..”
I didn’t feel too guilty talking about this in front of him.
After all, he really was oblivious and a bit foolish.
His own mother noticed it, which made it all the more pronounced.
If it bothers him, he should’ve done better.
“Do you feel the same way when you work?”
“Uh…”
“When he stayed home, he loved to play. He once spent six out of seven days playing at home.”
“It wasn’t that serious… But still, he’s at work and he’s the highest-ranking officer, after all.”
“Oh my… That’s a relief.”
She looked genuinely relieved, which made it slightly difficult for me to react.
What kind of life did he have at home for her to say something like that?
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh in my mind.
“He gets along well with the agents working on the ship, and he’s quite popular with them.”
“Is that… popularity?”
“…Yes.”
It didn’t seem like he was aware of it, but clearly, popularity didn’t mean what he thought it meant.
He was clearly the only one who didn’t realize just how many girls were interested in him… it was undoubtedly frustrating.
That’s probably why the Commander’s mom was so thrilled at this moment.
She certainly wouldn’t feel differently.
Though I hadn’t been with the Commander for even half a year, I could only think that.
“Sigh… He really is just like his father.”
“I don’t think he looks that much like his dad…”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“……..”
Oh wow.
It seems the Commander’s family hierarchy clearly favors his mother.
After hearing that, I couldn’t be more certain.
The Commander couldn’t counter or speak back to his mother, so he just quietly kept his mouth shut.
“Well… It seems you were doing well at home?”
“Back then, I was just starting my job…”
“Keeping the same expression is such a relief.”
I whispered to the Commander softly.
In a voice that his mother couldn’t hear.
I must have only shown him the kind of laid-back look I usually had on my days off.
Just lying on the bed or somewhere, playing games so often.
Honestly, I understood his mom’s feelings entirely.
I saw him do that quite often.
Although sometimes I would join him for gaming next to the Commander.
“Still, you seem to be in a much better mood than when you were at home. It doesn’t seem like you’re always gaming.”
“Well, it’s the Commander. Of course, aside from weekends, he probably doesn’t have time to play.”
“Sigh… Doesn’t it get uncomfortable to be dating while still playing games on weekends?”
“Hahaha…”
What could I possibly say?
No matter how I thought about it, answering that question would undeniably be tough for me.
After all, I hadn’t been in a relationship.
So I couldn’t help it; I had to think hard for a moment.
“But still, when we go on dates, he treats me so well… like…”
There was no choice.
If the Commander was going to worry so much, that would be a problem in its own right.
Since my focus was on making sure his mom didn’t worry too much about the Commander… that’s why I had to do this.
“He’s very gentle and kind, really…”
“My son does that? Oh my…”
“He’s usually so aloof, but when on a date, he really shines.”
“Oh my…”
I squeezed the Commander’s hand and said that.
Honestly, it felt like I just wanted to throw myself off a cliff for a moment… but I definitely had to say this.
Because if I didn’t handle it properly this time, it would surely become an issue.
Indeed… it would be a serious problem.
So that’s why I did it.
“Right?”
“…Ahem.”
Yes, it would be better to pretend nothing was wrong rather than give some bizarre answer.
Seriously, it was best to just play it safe.
I was relieved that I had told him to follow my lead before his mom arrived.
If he had suddenly blurted out something silly, I really would have tossed him out onto the streets and never let him back on the ship.
In all seriousness, I wouldn’t have had an issue working for an entire week without him, so I wouldn’t have cared.
“Oh my… My son said that…”
“You don’t need to worry too much. He’s really a wonderful… boyfriend.”
“Thank you so much, Lindera. My son can be a bit of an idiot and really lacking in awareness at times, but it seems he’s doing well with you…”
“Haha… It’s all because the Commander is such a good person. I haven’t done anything special.”
Her joy about it almost made me feel guilty for responding.
She was so thrilled that it made it hard for me to say anything that veered into the truth later.
I couldn’t help but worry about what to do later… I had to genuinely contemplate it.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
