Chapter 114: Getting on Good Terms with Another Pair of In-Laws
On the weekend, Ren's home was unusually empty aside from the two maids, as he planned to bring Renako over to play today.
To create a good dating atmosphere for them, Yuno and the others had temporarily returned to their original homes for the night.
This wasn't a sustainable solution—the 815-square-meter flat was still too small, only accommodating five people. Now that he had six girlfriends, it was impossible for everyone to squeeze into the same apartment.
So Ren purchased another estate, complete with a forest, pasture, and even its own lake—a perfect spot for camping. The area was roughly the same size as his private beach, both around 30,000 square meters.
However, it wasn't the right time to take Renako there yet, as the only ones currently living with him were still Yuno, Satou, Ram, and Rem. With so few people, it wouldn't be as comfortable as staying in the large flat.
But the welcome party could be considered for that location, just right serving as a housewarming celebration for the new estate.
For now, Ren drove his Maybach to the Amaori household. Since the Amaori sisters' parents were both home resting on the weekend, gifts were essential.
Ren had previously asked Renako about her parents' preferences. Her mother was fairly ordinary without any particular favorites, so he bought her a jade bracelet.
As for her father, it was easy to cater to his tastes—he loved games, all kinds of games. Ren purchased numerous physical collector's editions of single-player games for him, complete with various merchandise, most of which were out of print. Some were even classic games from the last century. If not for offering a price the seller couldn't refuse, these antiquities might not have been obtainable.
Of course, he didn't forget about Haruna either. Although he had already given her cosmetics a couple of days prior, what young woman could ever dislike such things?
With just one set, Haruna might not feel comfortable using it freely, but with two or three sets and continuous gifts, she could indulge without hesitation.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie."
When Haruna came to open the door, Ren entered carrying the gifts, starting with a smile and presents—far better than some clueless kid who'd just show up dryly and ask if it was safe to park his motorcycle outside.
No one dislikes polite people. The Amaori couple had only heard about Ren before and were skeptical about their eldest daughter having a boyfriend. In their minds, a girl who's into games wasn't highly valued in the market.
Just like how female students consider a guy's looks, grades, and athletic ability when dating, male high schoolers also subconsciously evaluate potential girlfriends on their beauty, personality, and nurturing qualities, among other traditional merits.
And Renako possessed none of these conventional advantages. Yet she still managed to get a boyfriend—and such a quality one at that: handsome, polite, and thoughtful enough to bring gifts when visiting.
In no time, Ren had the Amaori couple beaming with joy. By the end of their first meeting, they had almost fully accepted him as their future son-in-law.
Finally, Haruna managed to wake Renako. Since it was the weekend and Renako was an avid gamer, she had stayed up almost all night playing games, so she was still asleep when Ren arrived.
With messy hair and a drowsy expression, Renako walked downstairs and was momentarily stunned upon seeing Ren chatting cheerfully with her parents. It took her a moment to remember that they had made plans to visit each other's homes over the weekend.
"Eek~!!"
Meeting Ren's amused gaze, Renako let out a distressed cry before dragging Haruna to the bathroom, asking her to help with makeup and styling.
After washing her hair, styling it, and applying light makeup—a process that took over forty minutes—Renako emerged from the bathroom completely transformed. Haruna had tied her hair into a side ponytail, giving her a fresh, playful, and cuter appearance.
However, having been seen by Ren with her hair all disheveled and uneven, Renako blushed with embarrassment, keeping her head down and remaining silent.
"You look very cute, Renako."
Ren smiled, stood up, and walked over to take Renako's hand, leading her to sit together on the sofa. After chatting a while longer with the Amaori couple, he left with Renako.
Haruna saw them off but caught up with them about ten seconds later. After they got into the car, she approached the driver's side window with a slight blush, leaned close to Ren's ear, and whispered something.
Renako's mother had given Haruna permission to stay out tonight.
This surprised Ren, though not entirely, as most parents he had encountered were remarkably open-minded—like Hitori's and Karen's. The former's mother had even personally provided condoms.
Since his mother-in-law had agreed, Ren naturally had no intention of disappointing her.
Afterward, Ren brought Renako to his home.
"Lord Ren, Miss Amaori, welcome home."
As soon as Renako stepped into the entryway, filled with curiosity and awe, she was greeted by the maid Rem. Dressed in a traditional black-and-white apron-style maid uniform, Rem bowed gracefully, offering a glimpse of fair skin.
Renako already knew from school that Ram and Rem were Ren's maids, but seeing them in uniforms at school hadn't left much of an impression. Only upon seeing Rem in her maid attire did it feel right.
"Senpai, your home is so luxurious~"
Having enjoyed a comfortable material life so far, Renako was full of admiration and affection for grand houses. She wandered around the spacious flat with excitement and curiosity, unable to resist touching everything and wanting to take photos to show off on social media.
"This will be your home too someday. If you like it, I can give you one."
Ren walked alongside Renako, accompanying her as she explored.
"Really? But never mind—such a big house would feel lonely living in alone."
Upon hearing this, Renako felt her heart stir, but she still preferred being with Ren. Even if Ren were to actually give it to her, she wouldn't dare live there alone. Moreover, the daily maintenance costs would be a huge sum—she ought to save money for Ren.
"If you're lonely, why not ask Haruna to come live with you? Once you both graduate and find jobs, moving out will be more convenient anyway."
"That's too far off. I haven't even decided whether I'll go to university yet."
As they chatted, Renako spent quite some time touring Ren's home, even visiting the bedroom.
It was during this tour that she noticed something unusual. The first thing was—where were Ren's parents?
"Senpai, where are your uncle and aunt? Don't they live with you?"
Ren was a low-key person, and with the System's help, no one online had dug up much real information about him. So Renako didn't know the specifics of Ren's family situation and had assumed his parents simply hadn't moved in with him.
"They passed away when I was very young."
"...?"
"Don't worry about it. I know you're asking out of concern, not to offend me."
Unsurprisingly, Ren saw a mix of shock, regret, and embarrassment on Renako's face. Smiling, he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"But I still feel really bad about it, Senpai. I'll love you even more to make up for the love your uncle and aunt couldn't give you."
Comforted by Ren's words, Renako let out a sigh of relief, then declared her feelings with a determined expression.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Ren's smile remained unchanged. To this day, among all the girls he'd met, only Nijika had been able to give him that kind of maternal love.
After asking the first question, the second one made Renako hesitate, as it would make her seem distrustful of Ren.
But she couldn't just ignore it. During the bedroom tour, she'd noticed signs of other people living there—like Yuno's bass guitar left behind, Satou's electronic drums, and clothes in the wardrobe that clearly weren't Ren's but belonged to other girls.
All these signs indicated that Ren didn't just live with Ram and Rem.
Could they be relatives?
There were many possibilities, so Renako feared that asking might ruin their date. She decided to let it go for now and returned to the room with Ren to continue their date—playing games.