The Villainess Reika-sama

[110]

Sarara-sama was chatting with Kaburagi-papa. I'll bet it was some crazy hardcore book discussion. Would I be bothering them?
As I hesitated, Chairman Kaburagi noticed me first.

"Good evening, Reika-san. My wife and her friends were looking forward to seeing you, you know?"

"Good evening. Thank you for giving me the chance to see such beautiful cherry blossoms. The beauty of the weeping sakura was incredible."

"It honours us that you enjoyed it."

His smile was as dignified and dreamy as always. How nice. If I had a man like this as my dad I'd show him off everywhere.

"Sarara-sama, gokigen'yoh."

"Gokigen'yoh, Reika-sama."

Sarara-sama also welcomed me with a smile. I was still worried about disturbing them though. She seemed to be having so much fun.

"Am I perhaps interrupting? Please pay me no heed and continue talking."

"Not at all, Reika-san. I was just telling her about how I found a rare book in Germany the other day."

Germany!? Don't tell me it was Kaburagi-papa who suggested Heine to him!?

"...Might it have been a Heine?"

"No? It wasn't. Are you partial to Heine, Reika-san?"

"No," I immediately replied.

I wonder if he wouldn't take responsibility as a father and take his son's love poem anthology back.

"It looks like Takateru-kun isn't attending today."

"Yes. My brother was simply too busy at work, unfortunately. We are terribly sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Words of how impressive he is at work reached me too. Anyhow, just having you here is enough, Reika-san."

Hauu, what a dazzling smile.

"Chairman Kisshouin and your older brother have been hiding you away like a treasure, so I don't often get a chance you meet you."

"Goodness."

"I hear you really get along with your Otousama. The other day you knitted a lap blanket for your beloved Otousama, right?"

"Well, hohoho."

I never said beloved anything, Tanuki! It looks like you haven't learnt your lesson if you're still going around exaggerating things. You'll learn when I get home, just you wait.

"I heard that when you were little you said you'd marry him when you got older. Ahh, how envious."

Haah!? Not only was he unsatisfied with exaggerating things, this time he was even telling full-blown lies!?
Oniisama might be a different story, but not once had I ever said I wanted to marry Otousama! It's lies and slander!
Was it that? Was Otousama going senile!?

"Reika-san," said Sarara-sama, "You were a fathercon?"

Nooooooooooooo!!

"This is some incredible misunderstanding, Sarara-sama. I have no recollection of saying such a thing."

Even after I tried my best to deny it, Kaburagi-papa simply nodded magnanimously.

"Ahh, puberty, of course. I suppose I must apologise. But you should know that your Otousama understands how you feel. Ahh, how nice. I wish I had a daughter that loved me that much."

But you're wrong! I'm offended that you think my ideal husband would be that chubby tanuki!
I mean, if my dad had been somebody like Kaburagi-papa then maybe I would have said that. But unfortunately my father was just a big-bellied tanuki.