Chapter 43 Past Trauma

Past Trauma

Hana-san was clearly not in her right mind.

“…Sorry. Takumi-kun, I’m sorry. Really, I’m sorry——”

She apologized repeatedly, but there was no emotion in her words.

Her eyes were unfocused and she was stunned for a while.

She must’ve been so shocked by Takeshi…she seemed to be in so much emotional pain that she lost herself.

(What should I do? Go directly to her house…No, but would my house be better?)

Hana-san needs time to calm down.

But I don’t feel comfortable taking her to her house. After all, we don’t know when Takeshi will be back…by the looks of him, he won’t be back for a while, but if he comes home and finds Hana-san in her current state, I don’t know what will happen.

Maybe Hana-san would be hurt to the point of no back…thinking like that, I was scared.

Not just mentally. It could be physical as well.

(I didn’t think he was that much sc🬀m…)

I couldn’t imagine that he would try to raise his hand against his mother.

I was able to stop him because I was with her, but if Takeshi had been alone with Hana-san——that thought sent chills down my spine and gave me the creeps.

“Hana-san, can you move? Let’s go to my house.”

So I decided not to go back to her house.

It’s late and Ichika is there, so I’m a little worried about her safety, but…I’m more worried about Hana-san’s mental health right now.

I’ll think about Ichika later.

That’s why I went back to my house with Hana-san.

“…”

Now I have her sitting on the sofa to calm her down after she was stunned.

It’s the same situation as before.

It’s the same as right after I saw the scene of Takeshi and Kaori’s affair.

“Hana-san…here is your coffee. Please drink it.”

But what’s different now is that I’m in my right mind.

Thanks to her and Ichika, I’m mentally calmer now.

They saved me back then.

Now it’s my turn.

“It’s safe here. Even if something happens, I’ll be with you. I’ll protect Hana-san.”

I sat next to her and told her gently.

There is no more danger. Even if something were to happen, I would do something about it——When I told her that, Hana-san…she finally reacted.

“…Takumi-kun.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Can I ask you to hold my hand?”

“Of course.”

As she asked, I held her hand.

Like her height, her hands are small…maybe because of her housework and work, they are a little rough and dry. Still, her hands were soft and warm, typical of Hana-san.

But she was trembling.

Hana-san looked like…she was scared.

“…I told you before what happened when I got divorced. I was cheated on and left by…”

“Yes.”

“But that’s not all.”

And Hana-san told me with a pained expression.

She probably didn’t want to say it…no, she just dared herself to reveal her bad memories even though she was hesitant.

“When his father cheated on me, I blamed him…and he beat me. Since then, I don’t feel comfortable with adult men. I’m okay with children and old people, but…I was so scared that my whole body shook.”

Hana-san carries the burden of her past trauma.

Takeshi’s father must’ve been a total sc🬀🬀🬀ag…Because of him, Hana-san still suffers from painful wounds.

Hana-san seems to be having flashbacks of that trauma.

“——I thought the same thing about Takeshi.”

Hana-san always thought of Takeshi as a child.

“I can’t think of him…as a child anymore.”

Hana-san can’t face him anymore.

The trembling of her body is proof of this.

She was frightened by the violent nature of Takeshi——