As soon as he sat down, Suzuki Yuu felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness.
Hasegawa Aoi had been taken away by her mother, leaving only him and her father sitting there.
What is this, meeting the parents?
There were even clauses in the rental agreement about dealing with family members.
But since every family is different, Suzuki Yuu could rarely draw on past experience.
Seeing that his senpai’s father was glaring at him with an intense look of hatred, he could more or less guess what the man was thinking.
Judging from senpai’s family environment and personality, she was probably their only daughter, and had always been doted on.
And now that Suzuki Yuu had signed the rental agreement, his current role was essentially that of someone trying to steal their daughter away.
In simple terms: an enemy.
Madam Hasegawa’s attitude toward him seemed alright, but this man in front of him…
Hmm, the murderous glare was impossible to hide.
Senpai had really given him a big headache.
Before coming here, he had already looked into some information about them.
Hasegawa Makoto—a famous composer, who had worked with many celebrities and musical masters. Within the industry, he had quite the reputation.
Come to think of it, senpai’s rather free-spirited style must be at least somewhat influenced by her father.
But right now, this composer looked extremely strict and unyielding, staring at Suzuki Yuu for a long time.
The surrounding atmosphere was suffocating, and in this situation, Suzuki Yuu felt that if he kept quiet any longer, he might not make it out of here alive today.
“Um…”
“I don’t approve!”
However, Suzuki Yuu was interrupted as soon as he opened his mouth, returning him to silence.
But then he noticed, the other man seemed even more nervous than he was, having already drunk several glasses of water in a row.
What on earth is this…
He complained inwardly, but he’d encountered situations like this before.
Faced with the other party’s hostile attitude, showing weakness would only make them think you’re cowardly.
At times like this, he had to respond directly:
“I think this is something Aoi should decide for herself.”
Suzuki Yuu’s words were like a fuse, instantly igniting the already taut nerves of Hasegawa Makoto.
“You call her that so intimately!” The middle-aged man shot to his feet. His motion was so sudden that his knee accidentally struck the table corner, making him suck in a breath through his teeth in pain.
But this did nothing to dampen the authority he was trying to project. He forced a stern face, glaring down at Suzuki Yuu:
“What does she know? She’s just a child! She’s been tricked by a smooth-talking brat like you! Does she think she can pick anyone to be her boyfriend?”
“I really don’t think I’m just anyone…”
Suzuki Yuu replied awkwardly, but clearly the man in front of him wasn’t interested in listening.
“Speak. What’s your purpose in getting close to Aoi? Is it for money? Her looks? I’m warning you, she’s meant for a much higher stage in the future.”
Hasegawa Makoto’s tone was grave, but his fingers were tapping on the table in a restless rhythm, betraying his feelings.
Suzuki Yuu twitched his mouth and replied:
“Uh, aren’t you aware that senpai…Aoi has been slacking off at school for nearly a year now? How is she supposed to stand on some higher stage like this…”
On this point, he couldn’t believe they didn’t know, so most likely the previous words were just meant to threaten him…
Thinking this, he added,
“And, maybe you misunderstood. I mainly came here today to practice piano with Aoi—I want her to take part in the school’s chamber music competition.”
As soon as he finished, he clearly felt the man’s actions come to a halt. He no longer looked stern; instead, it was as if he’d thought of something regretful, and a helpless, wistful look appeared on his face.
“Chamber music competition…Does Aoi still want to participate?”
“I’m not sure, but today she brought me here to practice, so there’s still a little hope.”
The moment Suzuki Yuu finished speaking, he saw Hasegawa Makoto sink into memory, murmuring,
“Aoi used to bring a little girl home to practice too. They’d spend whole afternoons in the music room. During that time, they’d often perform on stage together—Aoi seemed pretty happy back then.”
“I’ve heard about it, but I never knew what happened.”
As if catching a clue, Suzuki Yuu leaned forward slightly, showing his curiosity.
But Hasegawa Makoto’s next words disappointed him once again:
“We’re not sure either. We just know it was also a chamber music competition, but that time the little girl didn’t participate, and Aoi performed solo. When she got home that day, she cried for a long time.”
“She didn’t tell you what happened?”
“No, she bottled it up inside. No matter how we asked, she wouldn’t say. After that, she stopped touching any instrument. I even wanted to settle accounts with that girl, but she’d transferred schools—her whole family suddenly moved away.”
When Hasegawa Makoto finished, it was Suzuki Yuu’s turn to become serious, sinking into thought. In his mind, he recalled Jinguu Amane’s words:
“I just did what was best for Aoi.”
Was there something wrong with that partner?
It felt like he’d grasped something important.
At that moment, the heavy atmosphere in the living room was broken by the sound of lively footsteps. Hasegawa Aoi and her mother emerged together.
Ignoring her father’s unsightly face, Hasegawa Aoi rushed over to stand before Suzuki Yuu, hands on her hips, puffing her cheeks and demanding,
“Dad! Did you bully Suzuki just now?!”
Almost instantly, Hasegawa Makoto’s tense expression melted into a smile, as if the earlier severity had never existed. He affectionately patted his daughter’s head and said,
“How could I? I was just having a little chat about music with Suzuki-kun. Suzuki-kun, don’t you still have to practice with Aoi? Go on, get to it.”
As he spoke, his face displayed the gentle kindness of a “benevolent elder,” the speed of his transformation leaving Suzuki Yuu somewhat in awe.
Since the other party had said as much, he saw no reason to linger, and followed Hasegawa Aoi out.
Only the Hasegawa couple remained. Madam Hasegawa sat down in front of her husband and asked,
“What do you think of him?”
“He’s excellent in all respects. But a guy like him—if you ask me to believe he’ll be devoted to Aoi alone, I can’t.”
“You mean, he’s like you were back then?”
Hearing this, the middle-aged man immediately retorted,
“I’m only with you now, aren’t I?”
“That’s just because I’m good enough.” Madam Hasegawa laughed softly, dismissing his excuse. “But do you think Aoi can really handle a boy like Suzuki-kun?”
Hasegawa Makoto’s expression froze.
“She…” He opened his mouth, then sighed deeply. “If she had half your shrewdness, I’d be thanking heaven.”
The composer irritably ruffled his hair.
“That kid, he’s even more glib-tongued than I was at his age…”
“Tougher to handle, right?” Madam Hasegawa finished for him, topping off his empty glass.
“I…” Hasegawa Makoto was momentarily at a loss for words and took a big sip.
“That’s why,” Madam Hasegawa pushed the teacup toward him, “we should let her try for herself. She can’t be so willful her whole life, right?”
Hasegawa Makoto fell silent. Holding his teacup, his gaze drifted toward the music room at the end of the hall.
“Chamber music competition.” He muttered under his breath, as if still digesting the news Suzuki Yuu had brought. “That kid…does he really have what it takes? Or is he just talking big? What makes him think he can get Aoi to…”
“I don’t know what he understands,” Madam Hasegawa stood and began clearing the empty plates, “but I do know, Aoi…”
She also looked toward the music room, her eyes full of tenderness:
“It’s been a long time since she’s taken someone’s hand and eagerly gone off to practice like that.”