Chapter 52: You Did It, Right?
After filling their stomachs and grabbing their phones, Ren and Hitori made their way to the living room, settling together on the sofa. As they chatted idly, they opened their phones to check their messages.
Ren had kept his phone on silent all day, missing and failing to reply to some messages promptly.
Anon had sent him a message last night, but it was recalled. Holding Hitori close, Ren felt it wasn't his place to ask what it had been about.
Next, members of the temporary band had reached out, hoping to share a meal with him. Though they had only performed one song together, they were content and grateful that Ren had chosen them.
Meanwhile, "Fireworks" had begun spreading online. Although his own account hadn't posted the video yet, fans had already recognized his voice in the song.
The response to this ambiguously romantic track was fervent, with netizens frantically tagging him to release it. Aside from his version, other videos uploaded online were either incomplete or poorly recorded.
After glancing through the comments and private messages on his account, Ren pulled up the video shot by Hitori herself. It had been processed and tuned by the system, free of extraneous noise—only the stage performance and the faint sound of fireworks could be heard.
Moreover, everyone's faces had been blurred, appearing recognizable at a glance but unclear upon closer inspection, as if the recording had been taken from too far away. This ensured everyone's privacy.
This aligned perfectly with Ren's wishes; he still preferred not to show his face.
After verifying that the video was flawless, Ren published it.
Once it was live, he drew Hitori into his embrace. Before performing the song on stage, he had told her in advance that it was dedicated to her—an expression of his love. Hitori had understood and been deeply moved.
Now, they could continue listening to it together while checking out the audience's reactions.
The moment the video was released, viewership skyrocketed to over a hundred thousand and continued to climb steadily.
"So many people..."
The number of simultaneous viewers surpassed even her own follower count, leaving Hitori astonished but even more delighted. She was happy for Ren's achievement.
"That means this many people are witnessing it," Ren whispered, interlacing his fingers with Hitori's. It wasn't just the view count that was rising—his follower numbers were surging too. With just two songs, he was already approaching the ten-million mark.
"..."
Hitori didn't respond, instead fixing her bright gaze on the phone screen. She and Ren shared both glory and setbacks; the better things went for him, the happier and more excited she felt.
"Have you checked in with your mom to let her know you're safe?"
After listening to "Fireworks" a few times, Ren felt a wave of nostalgia. His rendition was certainly beautiful, but the song would sound even better—and more classic—with a female vocalist.
If the opportunity arose, he might consider finding a suitable singer for a cover. It was a pity Hitori's vocal tone wasn't quite right for it; otherwise, he would have considered her.
Thinking of this, he turned his attention to Hitori's situation.
He had essentially whisked her daughter away for an overnight stay. Although her mother had provided the "protection," that didn't mean they could skip checking in altogether.
"Not yet, but Mom sent me an emoji."
Hitori shook her head, then raised her phone to show Ren the chat interface between her and Michiyo. Michiyo had sent her a thumbs-up emoji, which made her feel rather embarrassed.
Michiyo's enthusiastic demeanor almost seemed as if she were afraid Hitori wouldn't be able to get married by herself.
"Just say something, a simple greeting will do."
Seeing this, Ren smiled faintly. Hitori's parents were the kind of open-minded guardians that even he found somewhat hard to comprehend.
"Mm."
Blushing, Hitori nodded. She wanted to reassure her mother, but found the words she wanted to say or type difficult to articulate. Having to check in with her mom after spending the night out with her boyfriend was no small challenge to her sense of shame.
Nevertheless, she mustered her courage and sent a message to Michiyo, who replied instantly.
"Ren, Mom says she wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Is that okay?"
Reading the reply, Hitori grew even more bashful. This meeting with the parents was different from the last—this time, she and Ren had officially become a couple.
"Sure, that works. Saves us the trouble of figuring out what to eat tonight."
Ren agreed readily. He didn't share Hitori's nervousness or shyness; if both of them were like that, it would only make things more awkward for everyone.
Meeting the parents? He'd never been afraid of anyone.
Of course, gifts were a must—at the very least, this visit could be more formal.
As he pondered, Ren checked a map for nearby stores. Hitori wasn't yet up for moving around much, so going out to shop wasn't an option.
He decided on a fine bottle of wine for his future father-in-law, a bracelet for his mother-in-law, and for his little sister-in-law, a Lolita-style princess dress. No need to worry about reservations or pre-orders—money could solve those issues.
Once he'd settled on the gifts, Ren called the stores and arranged for the items to be delivered to the security booth downstairs. That way, they could pick them up on their way out without requiring Hitori to exert herself.
And so, after lounging on the sofa until evening, Ren and Hitori headed to the Gotou household, picking up the gifts along the way.
"Oh, you really shouldn't have brought gifts again! It's too much!"
As soon as they arrived at the Gotou home, Ren presented the gifts. They weren't extravagant, but they were heartfelt.
Michiyo and Naoki repeatedly tried to decline, but in the end, they accepted with beaming smiles.
"Brother-in-law~ where's mine, where's mine?"
Seeing that both her parents had received presents, Futari clung to Ren's leg, blinking her eyes and begging for a gift. Every time Ren visited, she got something, and this time was no exception.
"Right here, for you."
Ren handed Futari the packaged dress. She didn't know the brand, but she recognized a princess dress when she saw one. Overjoyed, she began hopping up and down. If Ren weren't so tall, she would have leaped up to plant a big kiss on his cheek.
Brothers-in-law really are the best! Even better than big sisters!
Hitori just watched with a silly grin, happier than anyone to see Ren getting along so well with her family.
Afterwards, the Gotou couple went to prepare dinner. Instead of fussing about changing her skirt, Futari waited until Ren sat on the sofa before climbing into his lap, hugging him, and planting several grateful kisses on his cheek.
"Futari, you shouldn't act so spoiled with Ren this many times."
Though Hitori felt happy seeing this, an inexplicable tinge of jealousy surfaced. If lip-to-lip kisses didn't count, Futari had already kissed Ren more times than she had!
"I'm not listening to sis, nyaa nyaa~"
Futari completely ignored her sister's words. In her heart, Ren's status had already surpassed Hitori's—he felt more like an older brother than her actual sibling, so what was wrong with being affectionate with him?
"Ren..."
Unable to control Futari, Hitori could only gaze pitifully at Ren.
"Futari's only seven years old. What could she possibly understand?"
Ren chuckled and leaned over to give Hitori a kiss, which finally eased her anxiety.
"Brother-in-law~ I want one too!"
Seeing Ren kiss Hitori, Futari demanded a kiss as well. Complying with her request, Ren gave her a peck on the cheek, satisfying her.
The rest of the evening passed with casual conversation. Futari remained seated in Ren's lap, her small arms wrapped around his neck, her curious eyes sparkling as she continuously asked him all sorts of questions.
Hitori listened quietly nearby, occasionally glancing at her phone to chat with Nijika and Nadeshiko.
It was at that moment a private message slid across her screen.
[Yuno: You and Ren did it, right?]
"..."
Hitori suddenly held her breath, her heart feeling as if gripped by a large hand. She had nearly forgotten—her friend had feelings for her lover.
And more importantly, how did Yuno know!?
Hitori felt at a loss but didn't consider asking Ren for advice. This was a battle between women; if she involved him, she might revert to her old self.
She had grown now—she was sure she could handle matters between her friend and her lover!
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