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KON returned home early that day, saying that he wanted to discuss a few things with his parents. Hearing that Kon was going to go home, Sayori also took her leave. Techi went back to work. As for me, I did the chores absentmindedly, reeling in the chaotic sequence of events that had happened that morning.
The rest of the day went by in a blur, and soon, morning arrived again.
At a time that was slightly later than usual—I’d already finished most of the housework after breakfast—I heard the tiny pitter-patter of feet.
“Incoming…”
Kon greeted me in a voice that was smaller and less energetic than I was used to. He dashed over to the bathroom, washed his hands, then plopped down on his usual seat in the living room. And then he just sat there in a daze, doing nothing at all.
This definitely wasn’t the usual, far from it. Worried, I finished the chores in a mad frenzy, washed my hands, took off my apron, and fetched a certain item from the kitchen freezer. I moved the contents into a small bowl and broke it up into smaller pieces, then finally marched into the living room.
Sitting down at my seat, I gently called out to Kon. “Is it about Sayori?”
Kon nodded weakly.
Seeing that there was no verbal response, I continued, “Well… I’d be surprised if something suddenly sprung up on me like this too. Not to mention that she was so energetic and assertive… I might have gotten a bit overwhelmed.”
Again, Kon nodded without a word.
I decided to press on. “Since you’re a bit blue today, I assume that you tried to discuss it with your parents, but it didn’t go all that smoothly? Did they maybe tell you to wait until the day of your interview and to decide after that?”
Kon raised his head. His eyes were wide with surprise as he nodded.
Smiling wryly, I pacified him. “I know this must be stressful for you. But hey, your parents—the Sanmayas care a lot about you. I’m sure they won’t choose anyone that you’d be uncomfortable with. Above all else, Sayori is your friend, isn’t she? You’ve known each other for a long time, which means that you understand her well. Having such a person as your partner wouldn’t be bad.”
Kon nodded, but he hung his head again even though he’d finally started looking up.
I thought for a moment about what I should say. “Okay, other people’s opinions aside, what about you, Kon? Let’s ignore the marriage part for now—what do you think of Sayori as a friend? Do you like her? Do you dislike her?”
Kon raised his head. With a serious look on his face, he reflected upon all his memories with her and thought long and hard. Then, he gave me a short reply. “As a friend… I like her.”
I nodded encouragingly. “I see. You like her as a friend, but you don’t really know what you want to do with your marriage yet, do I have that right? In that case, well… I don’t know whether you will like her more one day or whether the two of you will become more than friends, but let’s focus on the present. You can go to that marriage interview and keep treating her as a friend just like before. Or maybe you can try hanging out with her in the company of your other friends. How about that?” I paused to give him a chance to process what I said.
“As you spend more time with her, even if you can’t find your answer now, it might become clearer to you eventually,” I continued. “It might work out…or maybe it won’t, but even in that case, you’re able to move on because you’ve got a clear answer that Sayori isn’t the one for you—you want to look for someone else. I understand that you feel really lost because there are so many things you can’t figure out, but it’s because of that that I think going to the interview is a good thing. There, your parents can help you as you get to understand her better or understand what you want to do better. You can work things out in a safe environment.”
Honestly, I couldn’t say that I fully understood and supported the marriage culture of beastfolk, but here, marriage interviews were normal for children and were seen as a good thing. Therefore, the right thing to do should be choosing your best option within the constraints of those rules and not stray too far. Rather than becoming stubbornly cynical about the whole thing, it might be better to go in with an open mind and try taking steps forward, taking things into your own hands. …Probably.
I was sure that in the event Kon decided his potential partner wasn’t the right person for him, his parents would help him out. More than anything, Sayori didn’t seem like too bad of a marriage candidate—at the moment, at least. She was full of spirit, cheerful, and self-possessed. She had a clear understanding of what she wanted to do and was levelheaded. A part of me felt that she and Kon would be a good match for each other, for she could support Kon and Kon could support her.
But of course, if it didn’t work out, his parents, as well as Techi and I, would give Kon our full support and help him with searching for the best path to the future he wanted. We would make sure that he had the freedom to choose—I hoped that would be enough.
These thoughts were churning in the back of my mind as I spoke to him. He seemed to have received the message, because he gave me a firm nod, then wore his usual merry smile. Seeing that, I stood up, went to the kitchen, and fetched a certain dish I’d left on the counter.