Yes, We Are a Couple

"Father, why are you here?"

Asumi didn't answer his question, but instead asked.

"I heard that the shopping center here is having a discount when it opens, so I planned to go there and check it out." After explaining, Soujiro continued to stare at Asumi and Ren, "Asumi, what's going on with you and Kamikawa-kun?"

The last time he met Ren, Asumi said that she worked as a teaching assistant for Ren, so he had a relatively deep impression of him, and he could still call him by name now.

"We..."

"We just came back from that shopping center. Kouhai-kun wanted to buy some household items, and coincidentally I didn't have any plans, so I went there with him."

Realizing that Ren would answer, Asumi answered in front of him.

Pointing to the four bags she was carrying, she smiled and said, "Father, look, these are all the items he bought."

"I see..."

Soujiro nodded, seemingly believing her explanation.

Before Asumi could feel relieved, Soujiro's voice was heard again.

"Asumi, what about your and Kamikawa-kun's clothes? Are they couple outfits?"

"Yes—"

Reaching out to cover Ren's mouth, Asumi pretended to be embarrassed and explained, "Haha... Father, what are you talking about? These are just regular clothes. What kind of couple outfits?"

"I remember you didn't wear something like this when you went out in the morning." Soujiro didn't remember that his daughter wore a T-shirt when she went out in the morning. "And you really think I don't know. What's with your clothes?"

He wasn't a fool, he could still recognize what a couple looks like.

"Mhm..."

Asumi didn't know how to explain it like this.

Moreover, she couldn't say that she dressed up as a couple to deliberately tease Ren, could she?

"Also, Asumi, what are those on yours and Kamikawa-kun's wrists?"

Pointing to the bracelets they were wearing on their right and left wrists respectively, Soujiro continued to ask.

Under the sunlight, the bracelets on their wrists were too eye-catching.

"You found all of these."

Touching the bracelet on her wrist, Asumi said awkwardly.

Earlier, she thought it was fun to tease Ren like this, but now the situation was completely different.

"So, Asumi, what's your relationship with Kamikawa-kun?"

Saying this, Soujiro looked at Ren standing beside her and didn't say anything.

"As you guessed, Kouhai-kun and I are a couple!" Asumi said in a self-deprecating tone.

Couple clothes, couple bracelets, and just coming back from the mall together.

This situation really made it impossible for her to explain clearly, so it was better to just give up.

At least, it would save her from having to explain something her father would never believe.

After all, she couldn't think of how to convince her father that she and Ren weren't a couple, and that her father had misunderstood.

Difficult to say, even though we were wearing couple clothes, wearing couple bracelets, and just came back from a mall date, we're actually not a couple.

No one would believe this explanation, right?

"Hm?"

As soon as these words came out, Ren looked at Asumi.

When did he become her couple?

"Couple? You..."

As Soujiro was about to say something, Asumi seemed to remember something and said to Ren, "Kohai-kun, don't you have something to do later? Go now and leave us alone."

"I'll wait..."

"Okay, okay, go quickly. You don't need to worry about me. I'll call you if something happens."

Because she knew that Ren was basically clueless, it was impossible for Asumi to let him stay here to communicate with her father.

Soujiro didn't speak, just watched the scene calmly.

"...I haven't finished my ice cream yet."

Ren reminded that he wouldn't waste food.

"Here it is, eat it and go quickly."

Handing him the ice cream in her hand, Asumi continued to urge.

She could clearly feel that her father was looking at her more suspiciously.

"Um."

Putting down bag, he took the ice cream from her hand. After eating, Ren picked up bag again and said goodbye, "Senpai, uncle, goodbye."

Then, he left, but Soujiro still didn't say anything.

"Goodbye!"

She waved to his back, and as he left, Asumi shifted her attention to her father.

"Father, please listen, let me explain to you..."

······

After parting with Asumi and her father, Ren returned home.

After putting away the items he bought in the kitchen, he took off the couple clothes he wore with Asumi and changed into regular clothes, he also took off the couple bracelet and placed it on the table.

After doing all this, he thought of a very important question.

Meaning, why did Asumi tell her father that they were a couple?

It's so strange.

Before Ren could think about it for long, he received an email from Asumi.

Kominami Asumi: [You don't need to worry about anything, I'll explain it clearly to you tomorrow morning.]

Kamikawa Ren: [Okay.]

After replying, he put down phone and stopped thinking about this issue, instead calmly waiting for the arrival of tomorrow.

Rather than spending time thinking but maybe not being able to think of anything, it would save time for Asumi's explanation.

"Let's continue the meat bun practice this afternoon." Ren made a decision.

.....

The next morning.

"Good morning, Kohai-kun."

Asumi entered the room and saw Ren standing in the middle of the room, and took the initiative to greet him.

"Good morning."

After Ren replied, he asked very seriously: "Senpai, what happened yesterday afternoon..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Asumi.

"About the meeting with my father yesterday afternoon, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"Good news." Ren randomly chose one.

"The good news is that my father really doesn't believe in our relationship."

"Where's the bad news?"

Asumi said helplessly: "The bad news is that my father fully believes that we are a couple."