I Got Into a Secret Relationship With a Girl Who Was Out of My League
“What a huge gate…”
Standing in front of the towering gate, I couldn’t help but utter those words.
When I arrived at the address that Itsuka and the others had given me, I was greeted by a magnificent mansion that could be called a palace.
The cast-iron gate was engraved with a family crest-like design, and neatly trimmed plants lined both sides.
This house, whose exterior alone was as large as dozens of ordinary homes, was located in a famous upscale residential area.
I didn’t have many good memories of big houses, but I steeled myself and rang the doorbell.
A soft, melodious sound came from the depths of the house.
Even the sound of the doorbell alone revealed the prestige of this wealthy home, and I let out a small sigh.
[Hello. Who is this?]
After a moment, a young woman’s voice came through the intercom.
“This is Yagami, a classmate of Nanamori.”
[The young lady…I’m sorry, but you are not permitted to meet her at this time.]
“Oh, no. Well…could I speak with Nanamori’s father?”
[The master…? Please hold on for a moment.]
The intercom cut off abruptly, and I waited there for a moment.
Maybe it was too much to ask. If I couldn’t even meet Nanamori, meeting the most important person in that house would be even harder.
However, after waiting a little while, the gate opened, and a woman different from the one who had spoken earlier appeared.
The woman, dressed in casual clothes, had an air of maturity about her. She looked like she might be a college student.
Could she be Nanamori’s older sister?
No, probably not. She was beautiful, but she didn’t look much like her.
“I am Minami, a maid who takes care of the young lady’s personal affairs.”
“I am Yagami, a classmate. Are you the young lady’s personal maid?”
“Yes, that is correct. I apologize for not wearing my uniform. I just returned from university.”
“No, that’s fine…”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you meet with the master. That’s why I came to ask you about your business instead.”
“I see…”
It’s not that easy to meet him. I knew that, but I still can’t hide my disappointment.
“If you don’t mind, could you move to another location?”
“Huh?”
“Actually, there’s a nice coffee shop around here.”
Minami san put her index finger to her lips and smiled gently at me.
As if it were a secret she didn’t want me to know about.
And so, led by Minami san, I made my way to a nearby coffee shop.
◆
As I pushed open the door, a bell chimed.
The polished wooden floor and soft lighting. The faint aroma of roasted beans tickled my nostrils.
“This way.”
Following Minami san’s calm voice, I stepped inside the shop. Antique chairs and tables, old movie posters on the walls, and a retro atmosphere filled the space.
On the way to our seats by the window in the back, I felt a gaze from behind the counter.
“Welcome.”
A white-haired old gentleman—the master—looked up from his newspaper and smiled at us.
As soon as we sat down, steaming coffee was brought to our table.
The master skillfully placed the cup on the table. The rich aroma and slight sweetness rose from the heavy ceramic cup.
When I took a sip, it was smooth yet had a strong bitterness that enveloped my tongue. Then a slight acidity followed.
“Now, Yagami san. What business do you have with the master?”
“Well…I wanted to ask him to wait for Nanamori’s engagement.”
“That won’t be possible. The young lady has already accepted it. Besides, even if you, just a classmate, say so, the master won’t change his mind.”
“…Nanamori may have accepted it, but she doesn’t want it. As her personal servant, you should understand that!”
“…I’m sorry, but I don’t think an outsider should interfere any further. The young lady has already told you goodbye. If there is nothing else, then this conversation is over.”
“――!”
Minami san drank her coffee without changing her expression.
…This is bad.
If things continue like this, then coming here will have been meaningless.
My connection with Nanamori will be lost. I frantically searched my brain for something in my panic. I had to get Minami san to talk to me somehow…
Then I noticed something.
“Then why did you bring me all the way here to this café?”
“…”
“If you just wanted to hear me out and refuse, you could have done that at that place.”
“I judged that we couldn’t have a calm conversation at that place.”
“And why did you know that Nanamori had told me goodbye? Well, I guess it’s not unusual for you to know since you’re her personal maid. But that’s why it bothers me. Why did you go out of your way to bring me, just a classmate, here? Why did you keep it a secret from your family? Minami san, you’re expecting something from me, aren’t you?”
I spoke bluntly to Minami san, knowing it was rude.
She took another sip of coffee, set the cup down, and smiled softly.
“You’re like a detective. I underestimated you.”
“W-what do you mean?”
I feel a little embarrassed.
If she really did bring me here for no reason, I should run out of this café right now.
“Excuse me, but may I ask again about your relationship with the young lady?”
“Just…friends.”
“Friends…I see.”
Minami san smiles for the first time.
“Such a lucky girl. To have such a wonderful friend like you who cares so much about her.”
“…!”
“Let’s set aside whether it’s really just a friendship for now.”
“Ah, thank you?”
This…isn’t she onto something?
I think she’s probably mistaken us for lovers or something.
“Half right, half wrong, I suppose.”
“…Um?”
I’m confused because I don’t understand what she means.
“It’s true that I had a purpose in bringing you here. However, I don’t have any particular expectations of you.”
“…Huh.”
She’s being pretty blunt…
When she speaks so logically, it really hits home.
“So, what is that purpose?”
“To assess the reckless person who barged into the Nanamori household.”
“…Reckless.”
“Just kidding.”
“…”
Don’t suddenly act so playful.
Minami covered her mouth with her hand and smiled elegantly.
“Fufu. But half of that is also true. I wanted to determine what kind of existence you are to the young lady. After all, I am her personal attendant. I wanted to know the reason why she has been in such good spirits lately.”
“I see…”
“Your name has been coming up in conversation a lot lately, so I figured it out right away.”
What the hell… What kind of conversation were they having?
As for my relationship with Nanamori, it was just having sex at my place…
“…Hm. If we had established a fait accompli, things might not have turned out this way.”
“A fait accompli!?”
“Oh? Was I wrong? I assumed you and the young lady were in a romantic relationship…”
“Well, I’m not actually dating Nanamori.”
“I see…so, you had sex with her even though you weren’t dating?”
“What!?”
I almost spit out my coffee.
“Is that not the case?”
“No, well…”
How much does this person really know? A sense of unease began to grow within me.
“I’ve been serving the young lady for many years. I can see through such things.”
Scary…
“You’re not going to scold me?”
“Normally, I should scold you. However, if the young lady is satisfied with it, I have nothing to say. You must have some amazing skills.”
“…”
What kind of servant is this? She’s unbelievable.
This isn’t the kind of conversation you have in a cozy café.
And it’s incredibly embarrassing to be told such things by an older, beautiful woman like her.
“Getting back to the topic, even if you were to meet the master, I don’t think anything would change. Do you still have the resolve to do so?”
“Resolve…”
“Yes. The resolve to accept that you couldn’t change the young lady’s fate.”
“I don’t know. But if there’s something I can do…”
It’s like when my family fell apart. I can’t just stand by and watch.
Even if I couldn’t stop Nanamori’s engagement, that’s no reason not to try.
“I understand. Then I’ll tell you how to meet the master.”
“What? Is it that easy to meet him?”
I asked, surprised by how casually she said it.
“It’s usually difficult. But your husband will be returning soon. If you wait at the gate, you might be able to tell him something.”
“Pretend it’s a coincidence…?”
“This is all I can do. I wish for your happiness. Young lady…..has always been terrible at lying.”
Her expression was that of a servant, but also like a real sister, thinking of Nanamori with kindness.
“Ah, how was the coffee?”
“…There’s a bit of acidity after the bitterness.”
“Fufu, you say the same thing as her.”
…Is “her” referring to Nanami?
But still, I felt that anyone who drank this coffee would have the same impression.