(POV Chifuyu)
“Chifuyu… Will you marry me?”
“K-Kaito-san… W-Why?”
On our house’s balcony, a beautiful array of stars decorated the night sky. It was there that Kaito-san unexpectedly confessed his feelings to Chifuyu.
It felt so romantic… Chifuyu’s cheeks naturally flushed, and despite always being together, a sense of nervousness washed over me.
“I like you, Chifuyu.”
“Eeeh? Ah, b-but, I’m not charming like Aki-nee, not dependable like Natsu-nee, and not capable of doing everything like Haru-nee…”
“That’s what I like about you! I love how you always try your best.”
“Aaaah…”
I grew embarrassed, unable to meet his gaze. I could only fidget and panic, fumbling with my fingers.
Kaito-san pulled Chifuyu, who was acting this way, into a tight embrace—strong and warm.
“Are you really okay with someone like me, Kaito-san?”
“Of course…”
I, I felt overjoyed, b-but at the same time…. this must be a dream, right?
Kaito-san would never say something like this, and he’s remarkably fair in every way, for better or worse… It must be a dream, yeah…
Well, well, but if it’s a dream, then maybe I can do as I please…
“U-Um, I may be inadequate, but please take care of me…”
“Yes, I feel the same way… Alright, let’s head to the wedding right away.”
“What?! N-Now!?”
In dreams, anything is possible. In an instant, Chifuyu and Kaito-san found themselves standing at the wedding venue. My vision was higher than usual. It was certainly me, but somehow different. A mirror was there, reflecting my grown-up appearance.
In dreams, everything is allowed. Chifuyu couldn’t help but think she looked a bit beautiful.
I had long, beautiful chestnut hair. It wasn’t tied up with a ribbon, so my forehead was hidden. Chifuyu’s figure had become quite attractive, with significant curves. I felt like a charming adult.
“Chifuyu, let’s go.”
“Eh?! Ah, yes!”
Hand in hand with Kaito-san, Chifuyu entered a certain room. Our gazes were closer than usual. Kaito-san, who could never be seen from the top, was now near and felt approachable.
“Congratulations.”
Upon entering the room, various people stood there, applauding. Somehow, there was even a cat I felt like I had seen somewhere before.
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulations.”
“Meow-meow.”
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulation.”
“Congratulation.”
Amidst the applause, my sisters, acquaintances from school, and others gave their congratulatory speeches. The sound of clapping filled the air.
“Now, for the vow of the kiss.”
A priest-like person said that, and Kaito-san…
“Yes, wake up~! You’ll be late~!”
Chifuyu suddenly opened her eyes.
Unexpectedly, Chifuyu was stripped of her blankets with a quick motion.
“Huh?”
“Fuyu, it’s rare for you to oversleep. But don’t worry. I, Chinatsu-Onee-sama, am here to cover for you. Be grateful.”
As I opened my eyes, I found myself in my usual room. Chifuyu lay on her bed, feeling very cold due to having the blankets taken away.
It was just a dream after all… but still…
“Hey, what’s with that look?”
“Ah, I wish you had waited just three more seconds to wake me up…”
“I woke you up, and that’s the attitude you give me? I’m angry now.”
“Uuu, sorry.”
“Fine, as long as you understand. Now hurry up, or the freshly baked sausages will get cold. Go brush your teeth and fix your appearance.”
After saying that, Natsu-nee pulled the blankets off the peacefully sleeping Aki-nee next to Chifuyu. And then, the daily ritual of trying to wake her up and her refusing to wake up turned into a battle.
Ah, I knew it was just a dream, but… I felt so empty when I woke up…
◆◆
(POV Kaito)
My head hurts. I was working at my desk while pressing on the acupressure points on my head. Sasaki, who was sitting next to me, looked at me with a worried expression.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah… I just have a little headache.”
“Do you suffer from migraines too?”
“Yeah, since a long time ago, especially before rainy days… Because of that, they used to call me ‘Himiko’ as a nickname.”
“I see… You’re surprisingly delicate when it comes to your health.”
Speaking of which, I have always been quite fragile. My athletic abilities weren’t great, or rather, I lacked talent in that area.
“Are you feeling overwhelmed with parenting?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure? Maybe you’re unknowingly bottling up various issues. Do you have grandparents or someone you can rely on?”
“Well, kind of.”
“What if you asked them for help?”
“They are already quite old, and I don’t want to burden them. Besides, I’m not facing any particular problems. It’s just that my health hasn’t been great, and I haven’t been taking good care of myself.”
“You’re so stubborn sometimes. Just go home already.”
“I’ll be fine with this level of work.”
“If things worsen, you might end up worrying your daughters even more and blaming yourself.”
“Well, that might be true.”
“Come on, go home soon.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“Sorry… I’ll leave early today.”
“Sure, go ahead, go home.”
After apologizing to my boss, coworkers, and various others, I finished my work earlier than usual.
◆◆
(POV Chiharu)
We were heading home from school, walking our usual route, before we finally arrived at our house.
“Huh? Kaito’s car is here.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I wonder if Kaito-san is back?”
We unlocked the door and entered the house. As we opened the door to the living room, we saw Oniisan lying on the sofa.
“Welcome back; is it that late already?”
“Kaito, are you alright?”
“Yeah, just feeling a bit under the weather.”
“That’s not okay! I always tell you not to push yourself too hard! Take the morning off!” Chinatsu said.
“S-Sorry.”
“Kaito-san, what’s bothering you? Are you feeling unwell?” Chifuyu asked.
“I have a problem with my head… By head problem, I don’t mean I became “retarded”, though.”
“Oniisan, you don’t need to crack jokes at a time like this.”
“Y-Yeah, you’re right.”
Chiaki’s consideration, Chinatsu’s frustration at Oniisan pushing himself too hard, Chifuyu’s gentleness and my rebuke of his jokes—it was our usual atmosphere, and Oniisan smiled as he sat up.
“Sorry, I’ll go sleep upstairs…”
“Kaito, you can sleep here if you want.”
“No, it’s okay.”
With those words, Oniisan went upstairs.
I wonder if Oniisan is unexpectedly weak. It feels like he falls ill quite often. He pushes himself too hard, and with four kids around, there are inevitably many worries and burdens…
“It’s time for my classic rice porridge!” Chiaki said.
“I’ll brew some ginger tea to warm ourselves up,” Chinatsu added.
“Chifuyu will give Kaito-san a massage.”
“I will help too.”
The four of us sprang into action. We probably can’t help but think that we’re being a burden to him.
We don’t want to be a hindrance, so we deny it, and yet, we want to do something so that he won’t see us that way. We keep moving forward. That’s all we can do.
◆◆
(POV Chiharu)
We nursed him with the utmost care, surpassing our previous efforts, and this time Chiaki, Chifuyu, and Chinatsu, all pitched in. With everyone’s newfound energy and liveliness, Oniisan appeared truly delighted.
After having his porridge, receiving massages, drinking ginger tea, and taking his medicine, Oniisan’s condition gradually improved. His complexion returned to normal, and he started smiling more frequently.
As night approached, it was time for us to go to bed.
“…Let’s go sleep now,” Chinatsu said.
“I-I’ll sleep with Kaito… Whenever I’m not feeling well, I feel lonely if I’m alone, so I always hold hands with someone,” Chiaki said.
“What are you talking about? On the contrary, he can’t sleep comfortably like that. Come on, let’s go,” Chinatsu insisted.
“It’s already time for Kaito-san to sleep, so it’s better if we leave.”
“I agree”
Reluctantly, Chiaki released her hold on Oniisan’s hand. At that moment, I noticed that both Chiaki and Oniisan seemed a bit lonely.
Leaving the room, all of us lay down in our bedroom.
“Kaito, I’m sure he must be feeling lonely,” Chiaki murmured.
“You’re still saying that… Well, I guess it can’t be helped.” Chinatsu said.
“I don’t want to leave Kaito all alone…”
“…I think it’s fine for you to go.”
“Huh? Haru, why?”
“If we all go, it might be too much. Maybe it’s better if Chiaki stays with him alone,”
“…So that’s what you think, Haru-nee. You do have a point, though,”
“I fully agree with Chiharu. That’s why I’ll go and stay with him.” Chiaki said.
“Hey, wait… You don’t have to… She already left.”
Chiaki had already gone out.
“Do you think it was the right decision?” Chinatsu asked.
“I think so. Maybe,”
“What about Fuyu?”
“Chifuyu is not sure… Both choices seem right…”
“I think maybe all of them are the right answers. What Chiaki said, what Chinatsu thinks, and Chifuyu’s uncertainty—everything is valid.”
Gradually, the conversation became less frequent, and we all drifted off to sleep.
◆◆
(POV Chiaki)
I… when I realized it, I was there.
The place was a colorless gymnasium with many volleyball nets set up. Numerous people were hitting and picking up balls, filling the air with excitement.
There was no color, just a sense of watching an impersonal video.
Where on earth is this…?
There was nothing particularly captivating in sight. What is this…? I have never seen this place before. How on earth did I end up here?
Is this even real…?
I kept walking until I stepped onto the court. I casually strolled through the area where everyone was playing. I looked around multiple times to confirm my location.
Indeed, I still don’t know this place… Moreover, why is it so uninteresting? I do like sports; I enjoy moving my body, and I find pleasure in both playing and watching them, though not to an extreme extent.
However… it felt like I was in a desolate wasteland, a place consumed by desolation.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, was interesting. There was nothing that captivated me, nothing that I found cool or appealing—absolutely nothing at all.
Suddenly, I found myself drawn to a particular player. Their face was partially hidden by bangs, making it hard to see clearly. It was a male player, not exceptionally skilled. Yet he was being targeted by the opposing team. They were deliberately directing the ball precisely to his position, and hitting it towards him.
The male player’s legs were trembling; he was unable to perform as he wished, resulting in numerous mistakes. Both his teammates and opponents looked at him mockingly, and even the spectators couldn’t help but laugh.
In the end, that team lost.
Then the scenery shifted. It seemed to be some sort of locker room.
“That guy, he practices, but he can’t move that well.”
“Well, that’s just how it is. He’s just not up to par with our team.”
“Coach, can I practice serving once practice is over!?”
“Haha, that’s exactly how he sounds.”
The person listened to that conversation happening behind their back with a frustrated expression. Who could it be? I couldn’t recall recognizing them, yet it felt like I knew them somehow.
“Looks like he hasn’t changed a bit since middle school,”
“Well, what can you do? He just didn’t have any talent.”
“Despite that, he used to pick on me and make fun of other classmates.”
“Yeah, I heard about that.”
“Hey, you’ve known him since elementary school, right?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.”
The person overheard the conversation happening between a girl and a boy, and their eyes seemed ready to well up with tears.
Then the scene shifted again to a classroom. The person, dressed in a school uniform, slumped over their desk, lacking any motivation. A male student approached them.
“I heard you quit the volleyball team.”
“Yeah, it got boring.”
“…Are you alright? You seem down.”
“Nothing special; I’m not feeling down or anything.”
“…I have a game recommendation. It might be just right for someone like you who seems a bit down.”
“What is it?”
“Oh? Interested?”
“Just for killing time,”
“It’s a Yuri game.”
“A Yuri game… I’ve never played one before.”
“Don’t worry, it’s quite enjoyable.”
The scenery changed once again. It was a train station, where the same boy and girl I had seen earlier were engaged in a heated argument. Behind them, trying to avoid being noticed by someone they didn’t want to meet, was the person who had been slumped over the desk feeling down just a moment ago. They were pretending to be just another passerby.
“What? You think it’s all my fault?”
“I never said that,”
“You totally did! Ugh, seriously, sometimes I wish you were gone.”
“You’re so damn troublesome,”
“That’s my line. How on earth did I end up with someone like you as my boyfriend? You caused trouble even back in middle school with your bullying, but just because you were a star player, the coach turned a blind eye and protected you—a guy who didn’t deserve it, basking in your past glory,”
“Enough, you’re annoying,”
As the train arrived, the person observed the intense scene unfolding before them. Suddenly, without warning, the boy lashed out and kicked the girl. Whether it was fueled by anger or some other emotion, it was hard to tell, but it seemed like something terrible was about to occur.
It appeared as though the girl was on the verge of being run over by the approaching train—
At that moment, the person reached out their hand. Faster than anyone else, they grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her away, sacrificing themselves instead.
The person was thrown onto the tracks—
There, the scenery vanished as if a TV had suddenly turned off with a click.
And then I woke up. Kaito was beside me.
“Oh, I see… Kaito also had some tough times.”
That person looked nothing like Kaito. Still, I knew deep down that it was him. I didn’t understand what was going on or what it all meant.
I wanted to know, but at the same time, it didn’t matter. Everything was contradictory, but that was okay.
I just wanted to support this person from the bottom of my heart. It didn’t matter about the irrelevant details, like secrets or superpowers.
All I wanted was to be there for him, holding his hands and smiling together forever.
If you were lonely, I wanted to be with you. If you were sad, I wanted to comfort you. I wanted you to need me. I always thought you were a strong person.
You seemed so robust, kinder than anyone else, and amazing. But it was different. You must have been weak and fragile, just hiding it all away.
I’m sure you’re not some extraordinary person. Just an ordinary human, lost and struggling, searching desperately for answers, floundering, and crying.
Surely, you need someone. This person is seeking someone to support him.
I will be that person for you—
I couldn’t make sense of my own feelings. I didn’t know your true identity, and I had no interest in it. But I wanted to support you and be by your side. That much I knew.
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