「Shinomiya-sama! Shinomiya-sama!」
Sofia ran up to me and jumped in.
She didn’t slow down so I got knocked down.
「I wanted to see you! Shinomiya-sama!!」
Sofia rubs her cheeks on me.
I smiled wryly.
「Sofia, I’m also here…」
「Ah, Karin-san, I’m sorry」
Sofia stood up in a hurry and bowed her head.
「Don’t worry about it」
Karin’s lips are twitching in dissatisfaction.
「I was wondering what the alarm was about but to think that it was Sofia.」
「Yes! I’m sorry for the trouble」
Sofia steps back and bows again.
「I don’t mind. Still, what a coincidence. Who would’ve thought that you’d come on the same day 」
「It’s no coincidence」
「Hmm?」
「I wanted to see Shinomiya-sama」
「So you knew we were here」
「There was a request to use the island recently」
「Oh right, you can see that」
「I used my authority as the president!」
When we used the island, we needed to send a request to the real owner.
And that owner is Sofia, the owner of a company that is a subsidiary of Micronsoft.
「So, what do you need? You came all the way here to see me, that’s something you can’t send over mail or phone, right?」
Sofia’s face turned gloomy
「Actually」
「Wait, how about we talk in the mansion?」
Karin suggested.
「Are you sure?」
「That’s not even a question, Sofia’s company owns this island, right?」
「「True」」
Sofia and I agreed.
「Actually, it’s us who should ask if it’s fine」
「Thank you, let’s go to the mansion then」
Sofia held hands and said “Let’s go”
She interlocks the fingers like it’s natural.
「Uhm, Sofia? I’m a married man you know」
「Oh right!」
It’s a waste of breath as Sofia didn’t let go
I look at Karin asking for help.
「I don’t mind」
Yet Karin puffs her cheeks.
She was obviously in a bad mood, but I pretended not to notice.
「Karin-san’s fine with it, why don’t we?」
「R-Right, sure」
We went to the mansion holding hands.
Karin’s following behind. Making a furious look.
◇
We arrived at the mansion.
Sofia decided to take the conversation downstairs in the living room.
I sit on the sofa facing Sofia across the low table.
Karin’s next to me.
「Do you like this home?」
「It’s great. The main home is huge, and it’s always clean. We also have food, and I can’t thank you enough for the hospitality. Thanks」
「Not at all, this is I could repay you」
「There’s no favor that needs to be repaid」
「I’m back on Earth thanks to Shinomiya-sama. I owe you more than I can repay, no matter how hard I try」
「It’s thanks to everyone’s help that I made it back.」
After some chit-chat, reminiscing about the old days, and reporting on recent developments, Sofia got down to business.
「Actually, I ran away」
「What did you run away from?」
「My fiance」
Sofia has a fiance.
That marriage is scheduled to take place regardless of her intention, with a partner whom her parents decided she would marry.
She’s a member of the Heitz family, so that’s why.
「I plan to accept it」
「You did say that. That’s why you wanted to spend your time in the other world」
「Yes. However, I couldn’t. I lack resolve」
Sofia’s wedding ceremony is in half a year.
It was a custom to have several premarital sex, and she ran away from the first one.
「I’m sorry to do this in front of Karin-san, but I cannot allow myself to be with anyone but Shinomiya-sama」
「I’d rather not do it with someone I don’t like either」Karin says
「Yes…」
Sofia hangs her head.
「I know that it’s a custom or whatever, but do you need to have sex?」
「What do you mean?」
「I mean, Sofia’s marriage is just a political one, right?」
「Yes」
「So the other party also knows that this is merely for form’s sake. What’s important is to get married, not to love each other. Maybe the laws in other countries are different, but in Japan, you can just get married, without having sex beforehand. Why not do that?」
「Because we can’t」
「I see」
「It is as Shinomiya-sama says, we can get married without having sex. However, we can’t have children if we do that. It’s expected from both of us to marry, and also have children to carry the blood of both families」
「I see」
「How about IVF? Is that not allowed?」
Sofia nods saying “Unfortunately, yes…”
「Sex has been required unless you’re trying to do some infertility treatment」
「That’s hard」
Then I noticed something.
「By the way, where’s Amane?」
Karin also noticed.
「Oh yeah, Amane isn’t here. She’s usually with you…」
Sofia smiled wryly.
「I abandoned Amane」
「Abandoned?」
「She stopped me when I tried running away, so I told her that I had to go to the bathroom and left her」
「Oh, that kind」
「Yes」
Sofia puffs her chest.
(Can she even shake Amane off that easily?)
I don’t believe it.
I know Amane from when we lived together in another world.
No matter how good Sofia is, she can’t outrun that monster.
「Oh, a phone call」
Karin took out her smartphone from her pocket.
She stood up and answered a bit far away.
She came back after a short conversation.
「I’ll put it on speaker now」
Karin tapped on her phone and placed it on the table.
Perhaps it’s the babysitters.
Boy, I was wrong.
『Ojou-sama, can you hear me?』
That’s Amane’s voice.
「Amane, how do you know…」
『Ojou-sama’s clothes, shoes, accessories, and smartphone all have GPS attached to them. If you’re going to run, at least throw them away. Also, the mini boat you used has some anti-theft measures』
“Ah,” Sofia blushed.
Karin and I laughed.
「E-Even if you know where I am, I won’t go back!」
Sofia insisted.
『…………』
Amane went silent for a while.
She sighed and replied.
『I’ll pick you up tomorrow noon Japan time』
「You’re not coming to pick me up! I won’t marry! I won’t have premarital sex either! What’s impossible is impossible!」
『Even if you say that…』
「No way! I can’t! I don’t want to marry, have sex, or anything!」
Sofia started crying.
It was the first time I’ve seen her like that.
Karin and I watch her over quietly.
『Ojou-sama, your feelings are immeasurable. However, there’s nothing I can do about it』
「But, I…I…」
『I’m sorry for being powerless. Ojou-sama』
Tomorrow noon is probably the best that Amane could do.
Sofia knows that too.
That’s why she can only look down with a pained face.
『Shinomiya Hokage, are you listening?』
Amane talks to me.
「Yeah, loud and clear」
『Please take care of Ojou-sama until I reach there』
「Okay」
『If you’d excuse me…』
「Wait, Amane」
『What?』
「Why did you call Karin instead?」
I’m curious why did Amane call her.
Normally, I should be the contact, not Karin.
『Why? Because you didn’t answer no matter how many times I called you』
「Huh?」
I checked my phone and yep, Amane’s got missed calls.
About 200.
All the incoming calls were from over an hour before the island alarm went off.
I didn’t notice.
『Next time check your phone. Especially since you have a child that you need to look for』
Karin agreed with a whisper.
I bowed my head in apology.
『I’m ending the call』
Amane hangs up.
「It can’t be helped…」
Sofia stood up.
「I need to enjoy myself to the fullest until Amane comes and gets me」
I know she’s pretending to be tough, but let’s leave her be.
I raised my right hand and cheered.
「Sofia, can we talk just the two of us?」
Karin stood up.
Sofia’s expression turned stiff and she nodded.
They left the living room and moved to another room.
While waiting, I spent the time in the living room making a dumb face.
I somehow managed to send Tanaka an email.
「Thanks for waiting」
Karin returned after a few minutes.
Sofia’s with her, and she’s looking happy for some reason.
「Hokage, I’m going home」
Karin started with that.
「Home? Why?」
「So you can spend your time with Sofia」
「Why not do it with the three of us? I think it’s more fun to spend time together with close friends」
「There’s that idea, but I have another」
「What do you mean?」
「I meant the same thing everyone does with Hokage. Trying not to monopolize you」
I don’t get it.
If we don’t want a monopoly, shouldn’t it be better if we’re together?
That’s what I thought, but that wasn’t what she meant.
While I was tilting my head in confusion, Karin smiled and left.
「You’re really going home?」
「I’m really going home」
Karin took her luggage and actually went home
「I can have Shinomiya-sama for myself for the next two nights and three days!」
When Karin disappeared, Karin hugged my arm.