Several hours had passed since my grandparents, whom I affectionately called Grandpa and Grandma, had arrived at our house. I could see Chiaki’s determined efforts to bond with them paying off. This inspired Chiharu and Chifuyu to engage with them a little as well.
“I’ll make Kaito’s favorite dish!” Chiaki said.
“Kaito loves pumpkin stew, you know.”
“Oooh! Grandma, please teach me!”
“Sure, sure. Ah, so cute. So enviable, to have someone this adorable.”
Grandma embraced Chiaki tenderly, offering affectionate pats on her head. It seemed like Chiaki came off as a grandchild to her, and undoubtedly, Chiaki looked incredibly charming. I could totally understand that feeling; after all, Chiaki was really cute.
Meanwhile, Chifuyu was engaged in a game of shogi with Grandpa. They played in silence, but Chiharu managed to facilitate a good conversation between them.
“Um, Grandpa… do you have any hobbies or something?”
“…I enjoy Shogi, Go, and Reversi.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Grandpa, you’re quite reserved. How was Onii-san when he was younger?”
“Kaito was always a greedless child, even back then.”
Grandpa’s reservations hadn’t changed over the years; that much was clear. He had always been engrossed in solitary games of Reversi, Go, and Shogi, so having an opponent now seemed to bring him a hint of joy. Of course, he didn’t show it on his face, and the girls were still a bit nervous around him.
“Um, check…”
Chifuyu placed a piece on the board and declared a check. She was truly skilled at shogi. Grandpa watched the board, blinking his eyes. Despite playing shogi by himself for so long, Grandpa was surprisingly weak at it.
He had always been losing to me since long ago.
“I’ve lost…”
“Oh dear, Grandpa, you’ve lost again. I’m sorry, Chifuyu-chan. Could you play one more game? You see, this old man here didn’t have anyone to play shogi with, so he’s feeling a bit frustrated.”
Even though Grandpa’s expression remained unchanged, Grandma could sense his desire for a rematch after losing to Chifuyu. When Grandma suggested it, Chifuyu nodded twice and started setting up the shogi pieces for another game. Chiharu kept an eye on Chifuyu’s profile, while occasionally glancing over to where Chiaki was cooking.
The three of them were probably feeling nervous, but they seemed capable of interacting with Grandpa and Grandma comfortably, which put me at ease to some extent. However, Chinatsu was still upstairs. It was likely that she felt incredibly anxious about suddenly interacting with strangers.
No one could blame her for that, and I didn’t intend to either. After all, even I would feel nervous if someone else’s grandparents suddenly came over, and I wouldn’t expect myself to instantly become friendly either.
I headed upstairs and knocked on the door of the girls’ room. Upon entering, I found Chinatsu sitting cross-legged at the edge of the room, engrossed in reading a manga.
“Kaito… what’s up?”
“Just got curious about you, Chinatsu. I came to check on you.”
“You don’t have to worry…”
“I do worry.”
“…I see.”
“When I see that Chinatsu is feeling uneasy, I can’t just ignore it.”
“…Well, in that case, could you sit next to me?”
She said it with an apprehensive expression, so I took a seat beside her. Chinatsu closed the manga and returned it to the shelf. It was at that moment that she began to speak.
“Hey, would you listen to what I have to say?”
Her usually confident eyes seemed to carry a trace of unease. Perhaps she was trying not to show her fear. She might have been thinking that if I found out she was afraid of my grandparents, it could complicate things for me.
“Well, it’s kind of hard to say… but I’m afraid of…Kaito’s grandpa and grandma….”
“I see…”
“I’m sorry…”
“No need to apologize. It’s only natural to be scared when unfamiliar people suddenly show up.”
“…But, it’s just me who can’t do anything. Everyone else is… I’m the only one who’s different… That scares me and makes me feel so sorry…”
Chinatsu’s hands trembled as if she were overwhelmed by anxiety.
“You really don’t have to worry about it. Everyone feels anxious. I’d be scared too if suddenly it was your grandpa or something. I’d probably just stay in my room and watch TV, not bothering to interact.”
“…Really?”
“Well, I mean, since I’m an adult, I’d probably make some effort to interact. But if I were a kid, that’s how I’d feel.”
“…”
“My grandparents don’t really mind either. It takes time for people to understand each other. Just like how you and I became close.”
“Yeah…”
“Also, I’m going to say something extreme, but if we don’t get along, there’s no need to force a friendship. Just because we’re family or acquaintances through family doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to act friendly.”
“…Sorry. For making you say that.”
“I’m sorry too. I kept quiet about Chinatsu and the others for a long time, so you guys didn’t even have time to mentally prepare, and then I just sprung it on you.”
“Kaito, you don’t need to apologize. Seriously.”
“Then let’s just call it even between us. Apologizing more will only make things awkward.”
“Got it.”
“Alright, since we’re here, how about we do something together?”
“Together?”
Downstairs, Chiaki was busy cooking, and the others were playing shogi. I’ve got some free time, and since I can’t just leave Chinatsu alone, I thought we could do something.
“So? Want to play Reversi?”
“…I’m not a child. I’d prefer something more grown-up.”
“More grown-up, huh… How about Shogi?”
“…I don’t know the rules, so let’s skip that.”
“Go, then?”
“I don’t know how to play Go either. I’m fine with just talking.”
“Talking, huh… How’s school been lately?”
“I’ve actually been able to talk to people more.”
“Oooh, making lots of friends, huh?”
“It’s not like I have a ton of them, but I have a decent amount, I guess. Do you have any friends, Kaito?”
“Friends… I might not have too many. There were people I talked to, but if you asked whether I had really close friendships, I’m not so sure. But, saying I don’t have friends might come off a bit harsh.”
“…You’re so serious that it’s kind of a hassle. You could just say you have normal friends.”
“That might be true.”
“But I think that’s also a good thing. I actually like that cautious side of you, the one that doesn’t just open up easily and takes things seriously.”
“Oh, really? Thanks.”
“…You know, it’s a bit frustrating how you’re so composed like an adult. I want to see you blush more.”
“Blush?”
“Yeah, like, be happier and let your expressions change out of embarrassment. I want to see all the different sides of you.”
“Hmm, I see.”
But, wouldn’t it be a bit weird If I got all flustered? Like, adults being all delighted when praised by kids… that’s kind of strange too, isn’t it?
“…Kaito, have you started to dislike me?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“Because I avoided Kaito’s grandparents… I thought maybe deep down you’ve come to dislike me a little.”
“That’s not the case at all. I know Chinatsu is in a complicated situation. Even considering that, people are different, so it doesn’t matter.”
“I see, thanks. I just can’t help feeling anxious. I need to make sure.”
“Confirmation, huh… Well, I understand. At one time I also felt uneasy about whether I locked the house door, and I needed to confirm… Oh, sorry. Guess this isn’t the right atmosphere.”
“It’s okay. You were trying to lighten the mood for me, right?”
“…You saw through me, huh?”
“Well, I know you pretty well, Kaito. Hey, can you hold me?”
“Hold you?”
“Or even just a hug would be fine. I need to confirm something.”
Though I was uncertain about touching Chinatsu so casually at first, when she extended both her hands, I wrapped my arms around her back, lifted her gently, and embraced her. She didn’t feel heavy at all when I lifted her up. But she seemed somewhat anxious, and my heart grew heavy as I pondered whether I could alleviate that sensation.
“I feel relieved.”
“I’m glad to hear that. So, is it okay if I put you down now?”
“I’d prefer to stay like this a bit longer.”
“Alright.”
“I wanted to lean on someone.”
“You’re the big sister after all. Is it that rare for you to seek comfort?”
“Yeah. But I actually understand. Aki and Fuyu are so dependable… That’s why I envy how Aki and Fuyu are always together with Kaito, even if it’s just a little bit. Yet, I couldn’t let myself lean on others too much, trying to keep up appearances.”
“I think Chinatsu, striving to be strong, is pretty cool.”
“Yeah. But being around Kaito, I’ve started to feel that I don’t need to be that way… Can you let me lean on you? I’m probably the most spoiled one.”
“If you’re okay with me, then sure.”
“I prefer it to be you.”
Chinatsu remained in that position for a while. I knew she had a needy side, but she rarely revealed her emotions to others and never showed her vulnerabilities. Her seeking comfort like this made me realize she trusted me.
The joy I felt was immense. However, I thought it might lead to misunderstandings if someone were to see us like this.
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