Chapter 40 Cold and Lonely Hands

Cold and Lonely Hands

And then Shinomiya-san, Aoi-senpai, and I, although useless, managed to confide in Shinomiya-san’s parents.

Despite her stuttering words, she was able to continue talking. Thanks to Aoi-senpai holding her hand under the desk.

Her parents didn’t rush her but listened carefully to the words of their own daughter, Shinomiya-san, who seemed to be holding back a lot of emotion and holding back tears as she spoke.

After everything was said, her parents bowed their heads…

“Saya, I’m sorry. I wish I had noticed earlier…”

“Sorry, sorry, Saya…”

“No, no. It’s not Mom and Dad’s fault. It’s my fault that I couldn’t talk to you. So that’s why… I… It’s not your fault. I’m sorry too, Mom, Dad…”

Her parents got up from their chairs and walked over to Shinomiya-san, and she and her mother hugged each other and her father put his arms around her…

Family was something I didn’t understand.

My own family was different from Shinomiya-san’s. But that’s okay. It was normal for me.

But why?

What is this feeling? …

“Hiiragi-kun…”

“Yes?”

“I may be a little inappropriate and unfriendly, but I envy her…”

Ah. That’s right. Maybe I was envious too. …

After a while, when they calmed down, they sat down again and their parents bowed to me and Aoi-senpai.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to learn about Saya’s situation. Thank you so much. I can’t thank you enough…”

“Really, thank you.”

They bowed so deep that I didn’t know what to do.

“No, I just want to be friends with Shinomiya-san…”

“Still, thank you.”

They bowed again.

“And it’s not over yet.”

“Yes, we agree.”

Her father tightens his face and nods deeply.

At the crucial moment when we were about to resume our conversation, my stomach rumbled, and the tense atmosphere I had been in just a few minutes ago relaxed.

Ah, I really am a bad person.

“Fufu, it’s getting late. It can’t be helped…”

Shinomiya-san’s mother said that to me out of concern.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. It’s a physiological phenomenon. You two… come to think of it, we were talking about something so important, but we didn’t get to hear your names.”

“I’m Kudo Aoi.”

“I’m Hiiragi Shuu.”

“Hiiragi-kun and Aoi-chan, right? My name is Shinomiya Sachi. My husband is Shinomiya Yukito. Would you like to have dinner with us? Or rather, we want to be friends with Hiiragi-kun and Aoi-chan, so we’d be happy if you could have dinner with us.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. Wait a bit. I’ll heat it up…”

Shinomiya-san’s mother got up from her seat and went into the kitchen.

I stayed behind and watched as Shinomiya-san, Shinomiya-san’s father, Yukito-san, and Aoi-senpai talked, and Sachi-san brought the food to us…

“Well then, put your hands together.”

““““Itadakimasu.””””

I put the steaming hot food into my mouth.

It feels strange because I haven’t eaten with someone like this for a long time. Even when I ate with my family, I was treated as if I wasn’t there, so it was even stranger to see Aoi-senpai talking to me, Shinomiya-san laughing, and Shinomiya-san’s parents smiling when they saw it. …

In the midst of all this, we finished dinner, and after getting a good feel for Shinomiya-san and her contact information, we decided to call it a day.

“Both of you, I’ll drive you home.”

“Sorry, do you mind?”

“Actually, I would be grateful if you would let me drive you because your parents might scold you.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll accept your kindness.”

We put on shoes at the entrance…

“Hiiragi-senpai, Kudo-senpai. Thank you for today. Let’s see… I’m looking forward to working with you again.”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Open the door, get out, and get into the car. …

““Onegaishimasu (Please.)””

“Okay. Which one should I send first?”

“Hiiragi-kun, you first.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Yukito-san dropped me off at home, and it was after nine when I got home…

“Thank you.”

“Yes. Thank you. Please take care of Saya from now on.”

“I don’t know what I can do, but I understand…”

I got out of the car and opened the front door of the house.

It felt cold…

“Oh, welcome back. You’re late, Shuu.”

“Yes, I’m back.”

There she was, Aika-san, my mother. And…

“Ni– Onii-san. Are you okay? Nothing happened, right? You’re okay, right?”

“…? Yes, I’m fine.”

Yoka asked me with an impatient tone.

I had no idea what she was worried about.

I went back to my room, undressed, took a bath, brushed my teeth, studied a bit, and went to sleep.

Aoi’s PoV

“Thank you for today.”

“No. I just wanted to get along with Shinomiya-san, and it’s just my ego.”

“Still. Thank you.”

After Hiiragi-kun got off, Shinomiya-san’s father and I started talking.

“Aoi-chan… I wonder what kind of kid Hiiragi-kun is…”

“What kind is he? Hiiragi-kun is a kind and good-looking boy, I guess. He’s just darker than me and Shinomiya-san…”

“I see.”

I’m sure Yukito-san asked me when he saw that Hiiraigi-kun had somewhat fragile and broken eyes…

The conversation didn’t continue from there, and he dropped me off near my home.

“I’m fine here.”

“Thanks again for today.”

“No, It’s okay. And … here…”

I gave Yukito-san the camera that recorded all the scenes that I had installed in that place.

“I will support Shinomiya-san’s family decision. From now on, there are some things that we as a child cannot control, and it’s a family matter. I think it’s also possible for Shinomiya-san to stop attending school for a while. But just in case. …”

“… Thanks.”

“Also, I have a recording on my phone, so if Yukito-san wants to use it, I will cooperate with you.”

As I sent them on their way to the school gate earlier, I took out my camera.

It was the Shinomiya family’s choice whether to use it or not.

“Really, thank you.”

“Well, then…”

“Yes, good evening.”

So I got out of the car.

When I got out, it was cold and my hands felt lonely.

It must be because I held hands with Shinomiya-san and Hiiragi-kun until a while ago.

I hope that one day I can hold hands with Hiiragi-kun on the way home from school.

I exhaled and opened the front door.