chapter 309: Unrivaled Among Peers
Although Kaede knew this matter would definitely be discovered, he hadn't expected that immediately after returning from grocery shopping, the girls who had arrived early would notice and start cornering Eriri.
Seeing everyone's attention shift to him now, Kaede scratched his head and could only say, "Well, wait a moment. A few people haven't arrived yet. Let's talk about it once everyone is here."
Hearing Kaede say this, Utaha, who had initially only assumed the pair bought matching rings, raised an eyebrow, realizing the situation might be more interesting than she had thought.
Thus, everyone had to suppress their curiosity and waited while chatting and eating snacks.
However, Usami's gaze still occasionally fell upon Eriri's hand.
After all, who doesn't love a ring? Especially one as beautiful as the style Eriri was wearing.
After about half an hour, the remaining guests—Uchimaki Subaru, the President (of the Art Club, implied), Takasu Ryuji, and Kushieda Minori—finally arrived one after another.
Takasu Ryuji, the last one to enter, put the snacks he had made into the kitchen fridge. Seeing everyone sitting silently, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What... what's wrong with you all?"
Kitamura Yusaku then waved Takasu Ryuji over. "Takasu, come sit here. These two have something to announce."
"Announce?"
Takasu Ryuji clearly hadn't noticed anything. He sat down and looked toward Kaede and Eriri, who were the focus of everyone's attention.
Facing such scrutiny, Eriri naturally wouldn't speak first. She tugged on Kaede's arm and gave him a meaningful look.
"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll talk."
Shaking his head helplessly, Kaede took Eriri's hand, then raised his own left hand, displaying the ring on it. "You want to ask about this, right? We should apologize first; we didn't inform anyone two days ago. As for the content, it's quite simple: the night before last, Eriri and I got engaged."
"..."
The scene instantly fell silent, everyone's eyes wide open as they clearly processed the words Kaede had just spoken.
Finally, Utaha, who had already had some suspicions, was the first to react. "Engaged? That happened the day before yesterday? That was fast, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Usami also nodded repeatedly, saying excitedly, "Why didn't you tell us? We only found out now!"
Blushing, Eriri said somewhat sheepishly, "Actually, it wasn't Kaede-kun and me who decided it. Mainly, after we came back from the New Year's blessing ceremony, our parents discussed it and said, given the current situation, why not get engaged first? Since there was a banquet the next day with family and close friends, they just went ahead with it. The rings were also chosen that morning after the decision was made."
"Wow~~~ Engaged."
Pushing up his glasses, Kitamura Yusaku remarked emotionally, "Your pace is truly unrivaled among your peers. Some people don't even have a partner yet, or are still secretly crushing on someone, and you two are already engaged. Impressive, truly impressive!"
Kaede shrugged and said with a smile, "It was a last-minute decision, but Eriri and I were fine with it. As for telling you all, we did consider notifying you immediately, but we decided against it. You must have been busy during the first two days of the New Year, so we figured we might as well wait until the gathering to tell you."
Staring at the ring on Eriri's hand, Aisaka Taiga's eyes widened, and she asked curiously, "So, Eriri, will you wear this ring all the time? What about after school starts?"
When Aisaka Taiga brought it up, everyone else realized the implications. It hadn't been an issue before, as most people at school knew Kaede and Eriri were dating. But now it was different. Wearing this ring, especially on the left ring finger, directly signaled a major development in their relationship.
Regarding this issue, Eriri replied, "Kaede-kun and I discussed it. I can't just stop wearing the ring, so we decided not to worry about it. If no one asks, it's fine. If someone asks, I'll just tell them."
Utaha rubbed her chin and commented, "Hmm, your skin has gotten much thicker without you realizing it."
"Urusai!"
In any case, the engagement of Kaede and Eriri was wonderful news, and they certainly had to celebrate properly today. Since Takasu Ryuji had also brought homemade snacks, they could prepare an even more extravagant feast.
Kaede pulled the boys into the kitchen to prepare lunch, while the girls surrounded Eriri, asking about the engagement ceremony two days prior.
Utaha took out her ever-present notebook and asked, her eyes gleaming, "Hurry up and tell us! Were you very excited that night?"
"Well... I was certainly excited."
Eriri said, her face slightly flushed, "At first, I was so nervous I almost didn't know what to do, but thankfully I calmed down later. Also, that day was the first time I met Kaede-kun's other relatives, and everyone was very kind to me."
"Oho~~~"
The pen in Utaha's hand continuously scribbled words, and she muttered to herself, "So, after meeting the parents, she finally met others in his extended family circle. Did you meet anyone your age?"
"I didn't meet anyone my age. Kaede-kun said they weren't in the Kanto region, so they weren't invited. But I did meet a cousin who is a bit older than Kaede-kun. She brought her daughter, who is only two years old—super cute! I have pictures here, let me show you!"
Saying this, Eriri opened her phone and showed everyone the pictures of Kaede's little niece.
In the photo, the baby held in Eriri's arms had a round face and big eyes staring at the camera; she was extremely adorable.
"Wow, she's so cute, like a doll!"
Aisaka Taiga leaned over, staring intently at the baby in the photo.
"Right? Isn't she cute~~~" Eriri said proudly. "She was really fond of me. When I held her, she didn't cry or fuss at all, and she even smiled at me. But when Kaede-kun took her, she immediately started struggling, even though his posture was perfectly fine."
Hearing Eriri's account, Kaede, who was busy preparing the beef nearby, looked over and said, "That wasn't my fault, okay? I held her when she was first born, and there was no problem then. She probably just didn't recognize me because she hadn't seen me in a while."
"Hmph, but it was her first time meeting me, so why didn't she cry for me? That's what you call charisma, understand?"
After retorting to Kaede, Eriri went back to showing everyone the other photos from the engagement banquet.