Chapter 48 Family?

Family?

“Hiiragi-kun, you can stay as long as you want. Don’t worry, I’ll drive you home later.”

“Thank you. But I’m sorry, I’ll try not to be late.”

“Okay, but I already made dinner, so let’s eat together. Saya and I will be lonely without Hiiragi-kun….right, Saya?”

Sachi-san, Shinomiya-san’s mother, then turned the conversation over to Shinomiya-san.

Shinomiya-san’s face turned red, and then she said,

“That’s right. I also feel that I would be… lonely if I ate without you, Senpai.”

“See, see, so let’s go and have dinner.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Yatta, I did it. Ah…I feel like I have a son, I’m really happy…”

Sachi-san said that and went back to the kitchen.

“I see…”

I’m so happy, it’s like having a son, huh?

Well, what about my family? The families in Shinomiya-san’s house and mine are very different.

I wonder if Aika-san was happy when I was born? Was my father? Was he happy when I was born?

I’m sure they don’t think so.

That’s why I didn’t know what to say to Sachi-san when she told me that.

…I wonder what this feeling is.

I can’t seem to put it into words…

“I’m sorry, Senpai. My mom is a little picky person.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Haha, she really seems to like Senpai and Aoi-senpai a lot lately. Okay, let’s study in my room then…”

Shinomiya-san laughed, and I decided to follow her as she went upstairs.

“Well then, please sit there, Senpai. If I don’t understand something, I’ll ask you.”

“Understood.”

We both spread out our study materials and began to study quietly.

I’m thankful that we can study together. You know, a lot of things have been happening lately, and I often ignore them…

While we were studying quietly, Shinomiya-san came up to me.

“Excuse me, Senpai. I don’t understand this part.”

I looked at the question she was pointing at and saw that it was an English question.

“Here, this part is considered to be the subject of…”

“I see.”

I wasn’t sure if Shinomiya-san would understand my poor explanation, but she seemed to understand it.

I thought she must be very smart, thanks in part to her hard work until now.

“I understand now, thank you.”

“I see. I’m glad to hear that.”

While we were studying, Shinomiya-san asked me several times what she didn’t understand, but once I told her, she could understand it quickly.

As we spent time like this, it seemed like time had passed before we knew it, and Sachi-san knocked on the door.

“Dinner will be ready soon, but do you guys want to study some more?”

“Eh, it's already this late? Shall we finish soon?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

After seeing Sachi-san go back downstairs, Shinomiya-san and I also put away our study materials.

“Thank you, Senpai. It was easy to understand.”

“No, it’s just that Shinomiya-san is so amazing that you can understand my poor explanation.”

“That’s not true. It’s thanks to Senpai…”

She says that, but I think it’s just that Shinomiya-san’s understanding is good.

“Well, let’s go downstairs. It would be bad for Mom to wait too long.”

“Understood.”

I put my study materials in my bag and went downstairs to the living room to find the dishes lined up…

“Hiiragi-kun’s place is over there. From now on, when you eat at our home, you will sit there, okay?”

“Okay, thank you.”

When Sachi-san showed me where I would sit, there were already chopsticks and bowls neatly arranged with no signs of being used.

I wonder if she went out of her way to buy them for me. I’m really sorry.

Shinomiya-san sat next to me and Sachi-san sat in front of me, and we clapped our hands after we sat down.

“““Itadakimasu…”””

I had eaten at Shinomiya-san’s house before, it tasted different from my house. How does it feel? …can I say it’s warm…I don't know.

“How is it? Is it good? I thought it might be a little overcooked.”

“It’s delicious.”

“Ah, good. I thought since you’re a boy, you might like hamburgers.”

Sachi-san smiled at me.

Another bite of hamburger in my mouth. The juices spread in my mouth and flowed down my throat.

It tastes good, I can feel it. I’m not saying that the food Aika-san cooks for me is not delicious.

…I’m grateful to her for cooking for me.

But this was different.

“You can eat slowly.”

“Yes, thank you.”

And we eat slowly…

The time passes slowly while Sachi-san tells me stories and listens to the conversation between mother and daughter. I think it was the same when I was with Aoi-senpai. Such a leisurely time passed.

I wonder if this time…Am I allowed to be like this? Am I allowed to enjoy all this?

…I don’t know, but I feel like I’m being confirmed that it’s okay for me?

It shouldn’t be. It’s impossible that I’m allowed to be like this. But I don’t know, I really don’t know…

“What’s wrong, Senpai?”

“What’s wrong, Hiiragi-kun? If there’s something you can’t eat, you can leave it behind.”

“No, no. It’s not. It’s nothing.”

Sachi-san thought it was strange to see me freezing without eating and asked me that, so I shook my head and answered that.

And I continued to listen to the mother-daughter conversation while I had eaten most of my food.

Not long after, the front door opened and I heard footsteps approaching the living room.

“I’m home.”

““Welcome home.””

“…sorry to bother you.”

Yukito-san, Shinomiya-san’s father, came home.

“Hiiragi-kun…”

“Yes?”

“Instead of ‘Sorry to bother you,’ could you please say ‘Welcome home’?”

“…welcome home?”

“Yes. Hiiragi-kun will be coming to this house more often from now on, and we want to get to know each other.”

Welcome home, huh?

“Sorry, Hiiragi-kun. He always said he wanted a son.”

“That’s right, that’s right, Dad always says that.”

Sachi-san and Shinomiya-san laughed and teased Yukito-san a little.

“That’s great, Sachi and Saya are having dinner with Hiiragi-kun, right? Well, of course, I want to get along with Hiiragi-kun, too.”

Yukito-san said that and turned his head to me.

I think I can say it…right?

“Welcome…home…”

“Oh, yes…I’m home, Hiiragi-kun.”

Sachi-san and Shinomiya-san smiled at Yukito-san, who replied with a slightly strange voice.

I tilted my head slightly, and suddenly the anxiety I had felt earlier disappeared from my chest. And only warmth remained inside.

This never happened before…until I got involved with Aoi-senpai…

“Hiiragi-kun, are you leaving soon?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Okay, I’ll take you home. Wait here for a while.”

Yukito-san leaves the living room.

I guess he wants to put his things in his room.

In the meantime, I decided to finish my own preparations, and just as I was finishing, Yukito-san came back into the living room.

“Well then, let’s go.”

Sachi-san and Shinomiya-san also left the living room and followed us to the entrance.

“Thanks for today. Thank you for being with me today. Thanks to Senpai, I was able to understand what I didn’t understand.”

“No, I’m sorry for staying so long. But, I’m glad that I was able to help Shinomiya-san.”

I bow and open the front door.

“See you later, Hiiragi-kun.”

“Shuu-senpai, next time with Aoi-senpai too.”

“Yes. Thank you for today.”

I go outside and get into the car…

“Sorry, I let Yukito-san take me home.”

“It’s okay. I’m grateful to you too, Hiiragi-kun. And like they said, I’ve wanted a son for a long time. I’m glad you’re here today.”

“I see…”

“Well, let’s go.”

I put on my seatbelt and Yukito-san started to move the car.

He seemed to remember the location of my house since he had driven me there before, so he drove me home smoothly.

“Well, see you later. Hiiragi-kun.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Yeah. Take care.”

“Yes.”

I got out of the car and stared at Yukito-san’s car until I couldn’t see it anymore and then turned my steps towards the entrance.

My hands were very cold and heavy as I tried to open the door.

I slowly opened it and stepped inside.

“Welcome home, Onii-san.”

“I’m home, Yoka.”

It was Yoka who greeted me.

I wondered what she was doing at the front door, but that question faded when I thought there must be a reason.

“Are you all right?”

“What do you mean, all right?”

“I’m afraid she’s done something to you.”

“Don’t worry, she didn’t do anything to me. Instead, it was me who caused trouble for Shinomiya-san by staying too long.”

“I see.”

Yoka looked into my eyes.

I never knew what she thought.

“Oh, welcome back. Shuu.”

“I’m home, Mom.”

Maybe because Aika-san heard me and Yoka talking, she came out of the living room.

“Have you had dinner yet? I put it in the fridge…if you want to eat it.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I bowed and went back to my room.

Saya’s PoV

After Shuu-senpai left, I washed dishes with my mother and then took a bath.

I wonder if I got to know him a little better.

Looking back today, there is one thing that bothers me.

“Senpai’s younger sister…Yoka-san.”

The words she said to me.

“Please don’t get too close to my brother. I don’t want him to be hurt more than he already is.”

She said that, so I said, “It’s okay. You and I are different,” I said while being sarcastic.

She had a terrible smile on her face at that time, so much so that it was hard for me to keep a smile on my face.

I’ve been bullied before, so I’m a little immune to threatening words, but I felt something even blacker than Amane Kazusa.

I still get chills thinking about it, so I dive deeper into the tub.

Although my original purpose for going home together was to get along with Shuu-senpai, Aoi-senpai also asked me to take care of him. But did I do it right?

I’m sure Aoi-senpai could’ve done it more wisely.

I’m beginning to respect her as more than just a friend.

Shuu-senpai is…I wonder if he is a friend of mine? I don’t think I have any feelings for him as a member of the opposite s🬀x. But…

Thanks to him, I am the person I am today.

His eyes are darker than mine and reflect nothing.

I feel like I was sucked into those eyes and taken inside him.

I don’t know if I can say that I like him, but it is absolutely impossible for me to dislike him.

Aoi-senpai…I’m sure she likes Shuu-senpai.

Well, let’s not think about that right now.

I’d rather think about Yoka, Senpai’s younger sister, and the woman named Akasaka-san. And also since I’ll be able to go to school next week, I have to prepare for school.

After making up my mind, I got out of the bathtub…