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By the time the after party finished and I reached home, it was already almost the next day. As I turned the key and opened the door, something felt off. I can’t find Ame’s shoes.

“She’s still not back?”

I completely thought she would be back here before me. Watch the concert, eat dinner on the way, and return home. I really don’t expect that late-bloomer Nagatsuki to make any more progress than that. I thought of it for a moment, but it’s realistic to expect more from him.

“Excluding the possibility of Nagatsuki bringing her back to his home, I guess they got into some trouble?”

The possibility of that is low too. Nagatsuki has his own bodyguards. I’ve already confirmed that they aren’t useless. It was supposed to be just a love consultation, why did things escalate to this point?

“When it comes to the twelve families, most everything becomes a big thing.”

Mobilizing so many people just for a simple date. Just recalling the briefing session makes my head hurt. And I honestly thought Nagatsuki was the normal one.

Nagatsuki date plan. I was the one who came up with it and I don’t remember ever telling this to anyone else. And yet, through the Kisaragi family, I was called to appear before the Nagatsuki family. I couldn’t really refuse, so I headed out.

“Apologies for making you come all the way here.”
“Sir Nagatsuki, it is my honor to be directly welcomed by you. What business do you require of me?”
“It would be inadequate to have a guest remain standing, come inside.”

Following his lead, I arrived at a room with the whole Nagatsuki family present. Just to be sure, I previously looked up Nagatsuki’s family composition. They number less than my family, only both parents and two siblings. Some of them, I don’t know have information beforehand and that’s a bit discomforting.

“First off, fist of judgement!”
“Gueh!?”

I dropped a fist on top of Nagatsuki’s head. I ignored Nagatsuki who was grasping his head in pain and sat down on the open seat. However, even though I just assaulted their oldest son, no one even flinched. Rather, the madam even seemed to nod in agreement for some reason.

“So, may I inquire why I was summoned here?”
“Shouldn’t you already know the reason why?”
“It’s about that, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”

Why is this enough for us to communicate? To begin with, it’s absolutely not normal for one of the twelve to summon another just for their eldest’s first love. Until I know the reason, I can’t make a proper plan to escape this situation.

“Isn’t this quite the overreaction to his love life?”
“This is an abnormal situation for the Nagatsuki family and an opportunity that cannot be missed.”
“By that you mean?”
“Men of the Nagatsuki family have never fallen in love until now.”

Honestly, I’m impressed the twelve families were able to thrive with all the weird flaws they have. You can marry and have children even without falling in love. I know that, but seriously, the twelve families are far from normal.

“If it’s just that, then wouldn’t there be no difference if his love bears fruit or not?”

In fact, regardless of how Nagatsuki’s romance ends, the Nagatsuki family won’t need to worry about their future heirs. Even our family had children even without love. Three of them, even. Though I imagine that it’s not really easy to recommend that.

“Since it’s so rare, don’t you think it would be a waste if it doesn’t bear fruit?”
“I have no intention of cooperating with that.”

I made my statement. For things like these, it’s important to say it out loud. If you leave things vague, there are times when you might unwittingly give verbal approval without noticing. For the twelve families in particular, you really need to have a clear line drawn.

“After going all the way to plan out a date?”
“It’s as far as I’m willing to help. Beyond this, it’s their problem to resolve.”

Whether their relationship develops or just dies out is their issue, the most I can do is give advice as a friend. If I meddle too much, I’ll just get dragged in when trouble occurs. Also, another reason is because I feel like Nagatsuki might pester me for help if I do too much.

“Besides, I would rather not cooperate with the sort that secretly probes people’s private information and activities without their knowledge.”
“Intelligence gathering is the basics of basics.”

I’d do the same if I was in a fight. However, the goal here is not to fight but to deepen their relationship. If we use unscrupulous methods and this gets discovered, it will likely lead to the ruin of their relationship.

“People with influence tend to use their power selfishly, it seems.”
“Oh, but isn’t it pointless to not use your available resources?”

There’s a time and place for that, is what I’d like to say, but I have a bigger question. Why is the Nagatsuki family head silent since we started while the madam is steering the conversation by herself? Normally, wouldn’t the family head be the one to lead the discussion?

“Why hasn’t the family head spoken on anything yet?”
“You believe these dullards have any understanding of romance and love?”
“That makes sense.”

I couldn’t help but be convinced. Just look at their eldest son. The younger Nagatsuki is smiling, but that’s only because he’s enjoying the situation. The family head just turned his head. It’s not that they’re not interested, they really just don’t understand, I guess.

“I prefer the marriage interview route.”

After staring at the younger Nagatsuki, he replied so. I’m once again reminded of how useless these guys are. The youngest who doesn’t even want love, the oldest who doesn’t know what to do after falling in love, and their father who really can’t do much about it.

“Well, you seem to be wearing the pants in your relationship.”
“That might be true, but the final say still belongs to my husband. I merely provide advice and opinion on things.”

I’m sure she’s aware of how much of an influence she can assert. However, she will not give advice that will negatively influence the family, only those that will bring benefit to the Nagatsuki family. The full support of such a wife is why the Nagatsuki family can flourish. Collaborative effort from a miraculous meeting.

“Understood. I will compromise and cooperate to a certain extent.”
“Are you sure?”
“Even if I refuse, you’ll just act on your own anyway. In that case, it is necessary for me to pave the way.”

If they, by some mistake, go ahead and kidnap Ame, I’m going to have to go to America and directly apologize to her parents. So to prevent this, and to keep Ame from being troubled, a level of compromise is necessary.

“Do we really need them here?”
“While it wouldn’t bother me if they’re absent, they are still the family head and the man of the hour. There is meaning in their presence. ”

Meaning they’re just stage props. In that case, there’s really no point in the youngest being here. I assume they previously interrogated the currently tired-looking Nagatsuki about the development and scolded him for not making progress. Well, the most he did was go to the cafe.

“The mission duration lasts only for this summer break. After that, Amelia will be returning home.”
“How about extending her stay?”
“If we forcefully hold her from departure, it would only weigh negatively in Amelia’s mind. If you wish for an organic love to bloom, then this is non-negotiable.”
“That’s true. If we force it to happen, it would mean ignoring the other side’s feelings. In love, that can’t be.”

Now if Nagatsuki gets rejected, what’s going to happen to me? They might demand that I take responsibility in some way, but if I accept it, my parents probably wouldn’t sit still. A conflict between two twelve families? Please no.

“A humble suggestion, but I believe it would be preferable to also consult with the assigned bodyguards regarding the details of the plan. ”
“Right. Either way, it will still be necessary to inform them of the plan.”

Nah, it’s because they’ll gripe about it. While my bodyguards are used to sudden antics due to Ani, normal security firms would likely prefer to turn down unreasonable requests. There’s already no telling how much they’d lose for failing a task set by the twelve families.

And that’s the whole backstory. I came into the discussion with Ani’s mentality, so I believe I held up decently. Ane’s soft in terms of fortitude, after all. Additionally, the assigned security person went pale after hearing our plan. It’s natural, considering that they’re basically being told to protect two people in the midst of a crowd numbering hundreds.

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