Chapter 200 Ichijo Ai

Ichijo Ai

She tells me about herself little by little.

“My parents had a so-called political marriage. My father came from a powerful, up-and-coming conglomerate, and my mother came from a prominent family. It was a marriage that had value for both families. But they were also childhood friends. According to my mother, they were probably both first loves. So even though it was a political marriage, I think it was a happy marriage for both of them. Because my mother, when she talked about my father, always looked like a little girl in love.”

The words are woven calmly, with mixed feelings.

“I grew up loved by both of them. I can’t deny that. I told Senpai before. I went to a prestigious private middle school in Tokyo. The harder I worked at my studies and sports, the more they praised me. My father was busy with work and wasn’t home much… but he was a good father who made sure to spend some time with his family, even a little.”

I think being in an upper class family is usually a happy thing.

For me, conglomerates and famous families are only in fiction.

So I can’t get a concrete picture. But I know that her happy family fell apart because of some incident. It must’ve been a very cruel event.

“Those happy days ended two years ago… Without warning, suddenly…”

Her tone became even heavier.

“Ichijo-san. You don’t have to force yourself…”

I couldn’t help but call out to her as she seemed to be in too much pain.

“Thank you. We are almost there. I’ll tell you the rest of the story as we go. Maybe some fresh air will make it better.”

She looks like she is trying too hard.

The car stopped near the ocean. I got out of the car before she did and held out my hand.

She looked paler than I expected. Her already pale skin had turned a sickly white.

“Thank you.”

She gently took my hand back.

“Is it far from here?”

I don’t want to make it too difficult for her. I couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s only about 10 minutes away if you go up that hill.”

“Let me know if it gets difficult.”

In case of an emergency, I can hold her in my arms.

I tried to express this nuance, but she seemed to get the message. She smiled a little.

“Yes. I’m counting on you.”

We start walking slowly. Considering Ichijo-san’s condition, we walk slower than usual.

“Two summers ago. The car my mother and I were in had an accident. A tunnel collapse accident. Maybe it was on the news.”

“…”

I remember that news.

It was a pretty big accident. Many people died. I heard that someone my dad knew was also involved in that accident.

“We were supposed to be in the car, but before we knew it, we were thrown out. I think I was unconscious for a moment. My memory of before and after is fuzzy. Maybe my mother was protecting me. When I woke up, my mother was holding me. She was the first to ask me if I was hurt…”

She chooses her words slowly, face down.

“Yokatta, I thought, but I quickly despaired. For there was a pile of debris in the top part of my mother’s body that protected me. She had also lost a great deal of blood…”

This is more painful for me to hear.

“I was screaming and calling for help. I think my mother was ready to leave. She was trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay, even though this was supposed to be the most painful for her. My mother’s face was bleeding as I watched. All I could do was hold my mother’s hand, which was getting colder and colder…”

Her legs stopped moving.

We can’t go on. Let’s stop for a moment. Just as I was about to say this, a soft touch enveloped me. I felt a sweet and gentle touch. She was crying on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I’ll just stay like this for a while.”

What she is carrying is too heavy.

And too cruel.

“It’s okay. Take a deep breath. I’ll always be with you.”

I held my body against hers until her breathing became more comfortable.

“Thank you. I feel calmer now.”

She drifts away slowly. She forces herself to smile, as usual.

“Ichijo-san, you should rest more first…”

She shakes her head at my offer.

“We’re almost there, it’s okay.”

She starts walking slowly again.

“My life has changed drastically since I lost my mother. First, my father changed. Perhaps because of the loss of my mother, he became so absorbed in his work that he hardly ever came home. He started to act cold, as if he treated people like objects.”

Not only her mother, but also her father… How hard it must be for a girl in middle school. I can’t even imagine.

“And maybe I shouldn’t say this to Senpai… but I was also bullied after the accident. I’ve always been a famous person, so maybe they’re just jealous.”

“Unforgivable.”

I can’t help saying the words. She’s already in excruciating pain.

As if to add insult to injury.

“I have been presented as a miracle survivor. Partly because I am famous. On the surface, my classmates are normal, but behind my back they say I am a heartless demon child who sacrificed her mother to survive. In the worst times, I would get an anonymous call on my phone, and someone would imitate my mother and say, ‘I’m in pain, help me. I’m in pain, help me.’ something like that.”

I could only stand still, speechless.

“I should’ve died that day with my mother. I hated myself for feeling like a traitor when my mother had tried so hard to save me. That is why I was on the rooftop that day. The hopelessness of losing everything was growing. I think I went to that place unintentionally.”

This time I hugged her.

“Senpai? Why are you crying?”

I guess it’s impossible not to cry.

“Do you think there’s anyone who wouldn’t be angry to find out that someone they care about has been treated like that by a stranger?”

“You are kind, really. That’s why I want to apologize. I lied to you for a long time. I’m not ‘Ichijo’ Ai. Ichijo (条) is my mother’s maiden name.”

We started walking slowly.

Perhaps the reason she didn’t attend a private high school was to hide her true identity.

She went to a different school and took her mother’s maiden name. She thinks she could not have protected herself otherwise.

“Don’t worry, it won’t change who I love.”

There was a graveyard at the top of the hill.

We were standing in front of a magnificent tomb.

“My mother loved the sea and the mountains. That’s why she is here.”

On the gravestone was a woman’s name.

Ugaki Hitomi (宇垣瞳).